SProject: Secret
by EtienneTombe
Summary: Band of scientists continue research on cells and cloning with a more sinister plan inmind.How will their two most important prjects getting loose effect it especially when one is daughter of Vincent Valentine. eventual yuffietine. set after DoC
1. A Secret at My Door

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**Summary: **Scientists attempting to carry on research for the S and G Projects encounter a possibillity that is just too difficult to resist. Two subjects under both projects break out in an attempt to be free, neither of them understand the consequences of their births. Daughter of Vincent. Later Yuffitine.

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 1: A Secret at My Door**

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><p>It happened out of the blue one might say. No one was expecting her, no one would have expected her to come. No one ever even thought it possible, he just wasn't the type of person that one thought those sort of thoughts over. It was in us to think about it, he didn't presume such things. Even if such thoughts had occurred, no one believed a man at his age would have had any one this far along. Not <em>him<em>. All his secrets were thought to be shared, opened. We were his family after all, we'd journeyed a long way with each other.

Perhaps this secret hadn't even been known by him. A secret so secret that no one knew . . . no one but the secret herself. Such a surreal secret that had there not been the proof standing in front of them . . . no one would have believed it.

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><p>The sun had gone to bed long ago but the sky had not gone to sleep by any means. Lightening struck across the sky, silent and deadly as the heavy cold down pour of dreams and thoughts in the form of rain came upon them. The placid city of Edge was a rather quiet place, quiet except for the beating of rain and the occasional drumming of thunder.<p>

Tifa wiped down the bar for the third time in a row with her gray over used rag, a sigh escaping her as she gave one last look to the door. She would wait until she was done with this round before locking up, no one was wanting to get out in this weather. Heavy footsteps were heard followed by a mere scuff of a different pair. She didn't have to look up to know that the first pair was Cloud, the second would be Vincent. She rose her head up with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Kids are all in bed." She almost chuckled as Cloud gave a look around to check for people, he shook his head at the lack of life with in the bar. Vincent helped him to set the chairs up with the ok from Tifa. She was glad he was here even if for a few days. Music disrupted the near silence as Cloud stopped what he was doing to answer his phone before he promptly walked out the way he came in, to the living area behind the bar. There was only two more tables to do when Cloud's voice hollered for Vincent. He nodded to Tifa to reassure her he would be back before he went to see to Cloud, his red head band the brightest color in the room. He sure had grown, she nearly laughed at how silly that sounded.

She almost sighed again before setting the rag in the sink behind her ready to lock up when the bell jingled. She tensed up and turned around ready to tell the customer she was going to close up soon when she stopped.

A little child walked in, unsure and very hesitant. Tifa leaned against the bar with an astounded look on her face as the child looked around before pulling their attention to her. Large baby like eyes blinked at Tifa, she almost gasped at the color. Could she be another orphan that they'd possibly missed?

"Can. . .can I help you sweety?" The poor child was drenched, and even had they not been she could still tell the poor state the child was in. Dirty, black hair matted and in their face, clothes more like dirty rags wrapped around them to keep them covered, no shoes.

"A-are you . . .T-Tifa . . . . L . . .Lock-" The child seemed to think on it, as if forgetting.

"Lockhart? That's me sweety." She used her best sugared voice before realizing that the child wasn't stuttering from being nervous, she (it had been hard to tell by looking) was shivering from the cold.

Tifa watched in fascination as she pulled out a folded piece of paper with a pale shakey hand, it tugged at her heart to see how bad off the poor girl was. She unfolded the paper and pulled out of it a thicker yet smaller one, a photo. She looked at it a few seconds before struggling to walk closer to the bar before standing on her tip toes to place the photo carefully on the bar.

"D-do you know th-this man?" Tifa gingerly took the photo and looked at it carefully. It was a head shot of a man in a suit. There was a code at the bottom in black print and she noticed that it was one really old photo. The kind they stopped using at least 30 years back. She stared at it for quite sometime, she did know him . . .but who was it? He looked so familiar she just knew it was someone she'd seen before. His pale skin and that too straight nose. Short black hair . . .red eyes. The man was definately a handsome mouth hung open.

_"Vincent?"_ She held it down for the little girl with a nod and an astounded look.

"I do, are you?" Her eyes, those big round baby like eyes made her look no more then six or seven, she spoke as if she were 12 or 13. She looked far more intelligent then her garb would give her credit for but as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.

"Is his l-location near here? Where may I find him?" She spoke patiently, as if she wasn't as starved as she looked, or as desperate as the hope that filled her bright ruby eyes. She didn't talk like the ruffians of the street, she talked nearly technical and it reminded her of several people. Tifa's heart squirmed at the thought of this baby running the streets. She slowly came around the bar before kneeling in front of her.

"I'll get him, but tell me who you are?" She shook her head once, as if that movement alone might send her sprawled on the floor.

"He won't know . . .who I am." Tifa nodded but gave her a concerned look. She held out her hand as if to say stay and walked to the back door. She looked back just before leaving,

"I'll be right back, ok?" The girl nodded, swaying on her feet a little, Tifa would hurry.

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><p>I couldn't believe I'd made it this far. Triumph surged through me as I thought about finally being able to meet him. All my hard work . . . all my journey and . . .now I was finally free. Everything would be fine now. I looked back to the rickety door, the rain pelting the glass. I felt strange in my face, my body was cold from being outside but my face felt hot, my eyes were feeling more then just strange. I blinked in case something was in them, little droplets of rain fell from them. I stared at them as they fell out of my eyes and onto the floor. Was this bad? Or was this like going to the bathroom for my eyes? I rubbed them away just in time to hear heavy footsteps behind me, entering this room. I turned around as a breath hitched in my throat. A loud clap of thunder sounded above making the bar tremble and the lights shake.<p>

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><p>It was only Tifa, her hips swaying as she walked in. The girl looked behind her, almost worried. Tifa gave her a reassuring smile as she looked behind her, she gave an inclination of her head and new footsteps arrived. She saw that the girl nearly shook, and she surely jumped when the tall man walked in. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves pushed up, black leather riding pants that were tucked into almost knee high 'sprinter' boots. The best for travel. His holster housed a large looking gun, his one leather glove, and lastly his red head band caught her attention last. She briefly noted his pale skin, ruby eyes and long black hair. Her little fists shook and Tifa was sure this was indeed nervousness and not her being chilled. He tilted his head at this strange child that had asked for him and she remembered what to do. Though at first she seemed reluctant as if not sure it was the right man, Tifa could surely understand, she hadn't recognized him from his old Turk form photo. Had she been expecting an old man?<p>

She shakily pulled out the piece of paper and held it out straight, her shake more then apparent. His stride made the trip to her much quicker and she found herself biting her lip out of anxiousness. He gently took it with his uncovered hand and unfolded the rest of it, scanning over it. Tifa looked to him before the girl, noting something was a little odd. He made a noise, something between exclamation and a questioning grunt, his eyes squinting at whatever the information was. He looked at the photo that she'd handed with it and Tifa saw a bit of reminiscant light pass over his eyes.

He folded the paper back up and looked to her.

"I didn't know what else to do. I tried laying down and dieing but it didn't work. You are my only connection that isn't deceased." Tifa gasped at the words that came from this little girl. He took one step forward before kneeling, he towered over her small frame and this allowed him to better see her eyes.

"How did you get this?" She licked her lips and looked to the floor.

"I . . ." She looked up to him,"I stole it. " He nodded, he'd known she'd had to have.

"Where?" She let out a large breath and looked around.

"It says at the top, the logo. Thats the hospital. I can't ever remember which one is which. It wasn't hard to get it, I just had to get rid of a few pests. It was getting out of that hell hole that was difficult." He looked to the floor, gathering the information he had just recieved. By pests had she meant people and by getting rid of did she mean kill?

"I see." He looked to Tifa who was back to leaning against the bar, a questioning look dressed the concerned one on her face. He looked back to the little girl.

"Do you have a name?" She gazed at him, her eyes nearly matching his.

"My code is in there." He shook his head.

"No, a name. My name is Vincent, and that is Tifa. Yours?" She shook her head once again.

"No, I don't have a . . name. Only a code." A sad noise came from Tifa, as if she didn't believe it. He stood up and placed the paper in a pocket. He gave Tifa a gentle look,

"May . . she stay here? I know it is a bit crowded but . . " She held her hands up for him to stop.

"You should know better Vincent, of course she can. She looks like she has never seen food for Gaia's sake." He nodded and looked back down at her. Tifa bent down, her hands on her knees.

"Are you hungry?" The strange girl looked down before looking back up.

"I believe so. I have not had proper nourishment in too long." She showed her shakiness again and the sadness was in Tifa's eyes again. She nodded vigorously and turned around.

"Then I shall cook you a great meal for sure!" She started to get pans and such ready when light came across her eyes.

"Oh, but perhaps we should get you a bath and some clothes while its cooking. . . " She seemed to say it more to herself then to anyone else and she looked to Vincent. She had switched from bar tender to Mother in a split second.

"I wonder if Min's clothes will fit. Hm . . ." He nodded, catching on.

"Vincent, will you get Cloud? We need just a little help." She gave a bright smile to the little girl as he left, she stayed in the same place.

"Why don't I help you to a bath then." She held up a finger and set on a pot of water to boil.

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><p>I was clean and my stomach was full for the first time in well, a very long while. I was wearing someones gray shirt, the hem nearly touched the floor when I stood. They had decided to go through the other clothes tomorrow since I would be going to bed soon. Currently I was sitting on a stool at the bar, Vincent, Tifa and a man named Cloud were gathered at the end, talking. I looked at the large cup of tea that was almost empty. I'd ate almost three full plates and drank nearly as much water. Tifa had worried about me over eating until Vincent had come to my rescue. He knew how much someone like me could consume.<p>

Which brought me to that man Cloud. The moment I saw his teal eyes I knew what he was. I wasn't sure what they called him, but I knew he was similar to me. Made.

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><p>The three of them had pulled up chairs, Tifa with her legs crossed and Cloud was sitting with the back of the chair facing them.<p>

"How is this even possible?" Cloud kept his voice down although he and Vincent had no doubt she probably could hear as well as they.

"This document said that she should be nearly 16 years. She doesn't grow at the same rate either." Cloud shook his head.

"This is so messed up." Tifa nodded although she only knew halfly what was going on.

"Who'd have thought you'd have one running around. . ." He almost grinned.

"Barrett, or Cid even, but you Vincent?" Tifa smiled good heartedly at them both, Vincent looked over to the girl that was just finishing her tea. His eyes held something a little differently then surprise or fascination. LIke he knew something obvious but chose not to say anything further on it.

"Are you tired now?" He'd said it under his breath, Tifa had barely heard him and she was sitting right next to him. The girl turned her head and nodded.

"Yes." Tifa's eyes widened with surprise that she'd heard him, Cloud stood up.

"Think I'm going too, it's been a long day. Deliveries tomorrow." Tifa thanked Vincent for putting the rest of the chairs up before looking at the girl who was trying her best to climb off the stool, whether it was her too large shirt or her being weak, Tifa wasn't sure. She was pale, the same white and gray skin tones that Vincent had, the same jet black hair as well(it stopped just past her knees). Her hair line was a little different though, her eyes were like his, and her brows which gave her an almost stoic 'no nonsense' look. Her nose and mouth weren't the same though, she was betting these had come from the mothers side. Over all she was a very pretty little girl but that really hadn't surprised her, Vincent was a handsome man. She thought back to her hair though, when she'd been giving her a bath she'd noticed some of the underside hair was a lot lighter, almost a silvery color. It made suspicion grow in Tifa about if this girl really was the only child of Vincent's after all, seeing as how she'd seen that same trait in . . . a few others.

She looked expectantly at Vincent who just sort of stood there between them, he then looked to Tifa almost as if to ask what next.

"Should we put her in with Min and Yuki?" He seemed to think it was a good idea before he looked to her waiting there for him. He shook his head,

"Perhaps my room will be fine tonight." Tifa smiled as he nodded to the doorway for the girl before heading that way himself.

"This way." He'd said it softly, the girl had no trouble hearing him of course and her tiny feet padded after him. She held a light smile on her face as she saw the little girl take each step of stairs one at a time, her legs too short to take them as her new found father could. He waited for her patiently at the top, Tifa could tell she was breathing hard and her eyes were half lidded. After all the excitement she could imagine her tired, and even in that there was no telling the last time the little girl had gotten any rest. She had looked like she had travelled far and been through many things. She still had another flight of stairs and a few hallways before Vincent's room too. Tifa made a motion to tell him to pick her up and carry her there and almost giggled at his concern look, as if he was afraid the little girl might turn into something fierce and bite him though he'd faced down enemies of the world that were a 100 times more feirce. She finally made it to the top and bent over to catch her breath but was suddenly swooped up into the air cradled in one strong black clad arm, Vincent's gloved one.

The little girl seemed tense at first, as if not sure what to do there held against him. He continued further with Tifa behind him, she'd seen a look pass between them, something like a thank you. The poor man was a little lost in the parent department it would seem.

Tifa watched contently as he held her gently, probably the first time he'd held a child like that. She faintly wondered if it was the first time being held like that for the girl as well. If she didn't even have a name . . . no telling what sort of things she was missing. Tifa's overly tender heart reached for her, she'd do her best to try and make up for it . . .she'd drag the boys along too.

He made it to the destination in one piece (of course) and opened his bedroom door and left it wide for her to enter. Tifa couldn't help but notice how neat everything was. No clutter what so ever. Things were almost perfect, things set in strict lines and orders. She knew it wasn't because it was a temporary room either, he was this way with everything. She silently wished Cloud would be so neat.

He used his free hand to pull back the dark blue covers before gently laying the little girl down, the pillows almost swallowing her tiny self. He pulled the covers up over her to rest right before her gray covered shoulders. Her darkened lids (from stress Tifa assumed) were nearly closed and when Vincent looked satisfied he turned around to leave but before he could journey out the little one's voice rang out in the silence.

"You won't contact them will you?" He went rigid before turning around to answer her,

"No more scientists." She seemed to take that answer as if it were more then just words, as if it were some sort of contract sealing her saftey. He waited until her eyes were closed before closing the door quietly. Tifa gave him a quick thumbs up before whispering,

"You did good." He nodded in a polite fashion before going back downstairs, she hadn't realized he wouldn't sleep in there with her. She almost sighed but realized he had just committed a very large step, a step into fatherhood. They should be proud for him.


	2. Coffee Gal

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 2: Coffee Gal**

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><p>When I woke up I was sorely confused. I was in a comfy bed (one so fluffy I hardly wanted out of it), warm, and no feelings of dread or fear anywhere. A window was at the far right wall, a bar of open window was surrounded by the matching dark blue curtains. She could see outside and the light was just barely starting to show. She could faintly see trees out there, their limbs leafless and raised her arms up to the ceiling slowly before giving a long yawn, her eyes grew watery. She pushed some of the covers down and slowly moved her legs over to the side before looking down. It was a little high but . . . she jumped down. She made a tiny thump noise and steadied herself with the bed before letting go and walking to the door. She reached for the door knob and cautiously opened the door. She looked outside and took a few steps out and turned around and closed the door behind her. When she had turned back around there stood the grey clad blonde man, Cloud. She hadn't heard him come up behind her, she was impressed but wasn't sure if she approved or not.<p>

"You are up pretty early. Don't think Tifa is up yet." His voice was light, but not as in he was a happy man. She felt that he wasn't a depressed person either, but almost as if he was healing from something. She also felt like she was looking up at a large kid. She held her ground as he finally knelt down to look her in the eyes better.

"Want to wait with me downstairs? Vincent is probably up." She contemplated before nodding. She grew a little surprised when he turned still in his kneel position, his arms held back.

"I'll give you a ride. The other kids love them." She raised an eyebrow in wonder. He waited but when she didn't move he turned to look at her.

"A piggy back ride?" She tilted her head in question,

"Piggy . . .back ride?" He looked back at her with a wide eyed expression.

"You really don't know what that is?" She shook her head no and he gave her a small reassurring smile, she'd barely noted thats what it was as his smiles were very subtle.

"Here, I'll show you.," He gently held out his hand for her and she slowly took it where he drew her to his back. He used his other to swoop her up and place her on his back where he started to stand up.

"Hold onto my shoulders." He held a laugh in his voice, as in things might be funny if she slipped off. She did, held on to his firm shoulders and gripped his small waist with her knees. He threaded his hands behind his back and it also gave her a little extra support. She realized how well built he was, much more muscle then his rather small stature gave way to. He began to go down the stairs and she couldn't help but feel lighter. This was rather . . .neat. She felt taller, able to see things differently. She felt his warmth under her as well, which was different from Vincent's last night. Cloud's warmth was natural, Vincent's seemed a little excessive almost as if he had a fever.

"This is . . .interesting." He chuckled,

"Fun is a good word too." She thought about it, maybe this was fun. . .

Sooner then she had really wanted to be, they were downstairs but instead of going to the bar he turned and she saw another doorway, he walked through it and it was a living room of sorts. There was a few chairs, the puffy ones that she saw people sit in to read at libraries, for comfort. She'd only known that from passing by two, one in a new city near Bone village and another in Kalm. She noted that there were rugs on the wooden floors, she saw bookshelves and a music player that looked as if it had never been used but was rather old and dusty. There was a very small child's chair and next to it was a box of toys. Then there was the couch, it had two small end tables plus a small table in front of it. The end tables had tiny lamps on them. Vincent sat there on the couch, a black mug with something equally black and hot in it sat at his side on the end table. He was writing things on some electronic tab when they'd come in.

"Morning Vincent. Looks like we aren't the only early risers anymore." He said with a small laugh at the end. He near dumped the little girl on the couch before taking a chair. Vincent held out the tab for him in which he took it and looked it over. He gave a nod,

"Decent, I should be home for supper then." He turned it off and set it on the table. He looked to the little girl who had pulled her legs into the shirt and her toes were the only thing that could be seen of them. Her hair was a little messy from sleeping, but over all she looked much better then last night.

"Sleep well?" She looked to Cloud, those strange green and blue eyes watching her. Mako Regenesis, she remembered thats what the defect was called. Or something like that. She nodded, feeling Vincent's eyes on her. He was with in touching distance, she was sure Cloud had done that on purpose. She felt like he was trying to help Vincent with her, she could put twp together enough. Not that it mattered, it was just odd to be around good company she supposed. All the time on the streets, scavenging and avoiding harmful people had made her perhaps a tad distant.

"That's good, Tifa was worried that you wouldn't be able to sleep well. Something about our kids not sleeping well when they moved homes." Their kids?

"You have children?" He smiled halfly. He looked to Vincent who leaned back more relaxed with the conversation, he took a drink of whatever was in that mug.

"Yeah, we adopted Marlene and Denzel years ago. Not so much children now though. Marlene still lives here, so you'll meet her later. Then we have Min and Yuki, we took them in after some catastrophe a few years ago. " He looked at a clock on the wall, " Think we are supposed to see if Min's clothes fit till Tifa can get out and go shopping." She swallowed,

"This works fine." Cloud looked at her, her emotionless tone strange. He looked to Vincent with a questioning look. He seemed to mull thoughts around before his deep voice entered,

"She may have trouble with certain . . .things. Accepting items is probably one of them." Cloud thought back to the conversation of last night and nodded. Anyone grown in a lab probably would have trouble with normal life. He remembered how he had needed time to re-adjust and he'd only been worked on and advanced, not born out of. He looked to her with pity in his eyes. The pity was quickly gone though as he noted the fiery spirit in her red eyes. He liked that too, it reminded him of himself. It reminded him of the kids that had lost their parents after the Remnants had destroyed more of Edge and how they still kept living on.

"Don't worry about anything, we are family now, family takes care of each other." Vincent nodded in agreement, the little one wasn't sure how to take this so she switched the subject.

"What is it that you consume? It smells strange." Cloud smiled at her choice of words, it was a small curl of his lips. Before Vincent could answer,

"Try 'drinking' what is it you are drinking?" He chuckled at her confused face as her attention turned back on her more mysterious father who was holding the drink out slightly, the black liquid was nearly half gone.

"It's called coffee. " His deep tone was strange to her ears, she wasn't sure that it was because it was so deep either. She looked into the cup,

"May I try it?" His eyes darted to Cloud as if to ask if it was ok, who in turn nodded to him. She looked at him before leaning over as he placed a hand under her chin with out touching her. He tipped the mug just a little and it touched her lips. She drew back with a strange look on her face, licking her lips. Cloud laughed,

"Nasty right? I can't drink coffee with out a lot of sweetener." She licked her lips.

"Coffee . . " She said it as if to make sure she remembered it. " It's bitter." Cloud looked to the clock again.

"May I . . . have another . . .drinking?" Cloud chuckled and looked to Vincent who held a soft expression, something people didn't see often. He helped her to hold the mug with both her hands and before she took a sip,

"Drink is what to say . . .when you ask for it." Her eyes went shiny before normal, she was a fast learner.

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><p>Eggs and bacon could be smelt through out the home, the sun was just rising high enough to make light suitable with out lamps in the bar. The little girl sat on the same stool she sat on last night, her little legs swinging a little. Vincent leaned against the bar on the other side watching Tifa. His black mug sat in front of his daughter, who told Tifa it was bitter after she drank it all. Tifa had sighed and gave Vincent a look, while telling him he shouldn't have given her the whole cup. He shrugged and commented with something on how she liked it.<p>

A woman came in with a tired look on her features. She was pretty and petite with lovely auburn hair that was braided and tied off with a pink bowwith bangs framing her face. She didn't wear makeup and she sure didn't need it. She saw Vincent and the girl was surprised to see her cheeks turn a light pink, she looked down at her feet,

"Goodmorning." She took a stool, the light yellow dress seemed a little too thin for the weather but it was nice on her. She didn't seem to notice the girl how ever. Tifa looked to her,

"Morning sweety. " She gave a smile to Vincent, a strange smile, like something secretive was going on and the girl wasn't so sure it was anything to do with her.

"Ah! Marlene, we have a guest." She turned to Vincent before looking at the girl.

"Oh no, Vincent . . .I don't know how to introduce her. . . " Tifa' s face showed worry and held apologetic eyes to the little girl. Marlene raised an eyebrow before turning and seeing her. She tilted her head and gave a warm smile.

"I'm Marlene." She waved at the little girl and she could only nod. However this made her raise her eyebrows,almost as if insulted.

"Marlene, don't push her . . . um. . . " Tifa seemed to flounder here and gave Vincent a desperate look. He pushed off the bar and walked around it before sitting at one of the tables.

"She needs a name I suppose." His voice was drawn out as the little one looked at him, Marlene's face blushed again and she looked to Tifa.

"A name?" Tifa put her hands to her face with a nod. Marlene looked to the girl.

"Where did you find her?" Tifa shook her head no and gestured to Vincent. He didn't answer though,

"I came here. " She looked to this stoic little girl, whose voice held little emotion. Confusion was written all over Marlene's face, she clearly was out of the loop.

"What about your parents?Aren't they worried?" Tifa looked to Vincent who was tense with the conversation.

"He is here." She looked down the mug wishing there was more, she looked to Tifa expectantly. Marleen shook her head and looked to Tifa.

"Honey, Vincent is her father. That's why she is here." Marleen went pale before red consumed her complexion. She stood up.

"Vincent?" She put her hands to her face and ran out the bar.

"I'm so embarrassed!" She called out from the room behind the bar. Tifa sighed and shook her head, she pulled out a few plates and and started to pile food onto them, especially onto the little girls plate.

"Well you'll have to get over it, breakfast is ready." She smiled to herself, before pulling up a chair on the other side.

"Perhaps I should leave?" His dark voice resonated and Tifa waved her hand, "No no, she will be alright." She smiled again. Marlene peeked in as Vincent went to sit next to his daughter, the more Marlene looked at her the more she could tell. She slowly came in and took a plate furthest from them, playing with her food a little.

"So . . . who is the mother?" She mumbled it, as if it shouldn't have been said, her face mottled with blush and embarrassment and perhaps a little jealousy. Tifa looked to Vincent, he didn't look up from his daughter.

"She has been dead a long time." The room went quiet save the sounds of the little girl dishing food into her mouth and eating. Marlene gave him an apologetic look before realization.

"Couldn't have been too long, she doesn't look that old. . " The little girl looked sideways to Marlene,

"How many years are you old?" Marlene licked her lips and wondered over the odd way of asking,

"I just turned 15." The girl ate more before answering.

"I'm older then you." Marlene gasped, looking to her before Tifa and back. The girl was about finished and Tifa was getting her a glass of water.

"Also, Marlene, I wasn't born from a mother. I was created in a tube from two genetic samples." She gulped down the water as Marleen's face went pale and her mouth hung open.

"You mean like Cloud? Or those remnants from a few years ago." The little girl choked suddenly, spluttering water down her front as she coughed trying to get air. Vincent surprising pulled her hair back from her face as Tifa helped her wipe up her water. She was trying her best to turn and look to Marlene though, and angry look on her face.

"I am _not _a remnant!" Marlene held her hands up showing she was sorry, the little girl was clearly upset. Not only had she raised her voice for the first time her brows had come down, making her look more like Vincent then ever.

"I'm done." Her face was suddenly back to emotionless, as if a switch had been flicked. She pushed the plate and dish forward for Tifa before she slid off the stool and walked around the bar to get to the living room area. Tifa gave Vincent an amazed look. He straightened up and walked after her, understanding in his matching red eyes.

* * *

><p>It was late afternoon and an old box of clothes was being spread out on the floor. Tifa held some up for her and shook her head.<p>

"Nope, you are just too tiny." She smiled though, Vincent was on the couch watching the women in the house cater to the newest addition. Two other girls were sitting as far away from the ruby eyed girl as possible.

"Not by much, I can take them in." Tifa shook her head at Marlene. Min, a girl with short black hair that reached her jaw and black eyes had looked to Yuki, a girl with blonde hair that was in pigtails that reached her shoulders. Min's clothes hadn't fit so they had gotten out a box of Marlene's old clothes.

"Let's give them away and buy her some new ones. Could be fun!" She laughed at the expression on the girl's face before a new thought came forth. The ruby eyed girl caught the rolling of eyes from Min, she looked only a few years older then her.

"Oh Vincent, have you been thinking on what to name her at all?" He seemed to be in his own world before coming to. He shook his head no, a light expression on his face. Marlene and Tifa were suddenly thinking hard.

"What about Sarah?" Tifa looked to Vincent and he looked to his daughter, she made a face and shook her head no. Marlene was next,

"Miranda?" She shook her head no.

"Kara, Daniella, Moira?" She seemed to ponder Moira but she shook her head no to them.

"Darla?" Vincent grunted and shook his head no this time. Tifa laughed. They started to think again, the room becoming silent in thought. The only real sound was Min and Yuki playing with dolls in the far corner.

"Maybe," Marlene held a finger up breaking the silence,"we should get the whole family here to think of a name for her. It could help Vincent out and just might find one she likes. " Tifa seemed to like the idea, she looked to Vincent.

"What do you think? Could be a good reason to get them all to visit too." He seemed to appreciate the idea of them having a reunion and nodded. The women smiled,

"Great, can't wait to tell Cloud. He can get ahold of the others, you can call Denzel I'm sure." Marlene nodded, "You can count on me for him. I want to scold him for not coming by in a while anyways. " She grinned as they started to fold the clothes back up and place them into the box. Marlene paused and made a face.

"Oh . . but that means everyone will know about her being hi . . ." Her eyes flickered to the girl and she wasn't sure she was going to like Marlene. She also wasn't sure she was going to like those other girls either. Tifa gave Marlene the eye,

"And? She is family now." Marlene shook her head and her hands waved out.

"Oh, no not as in . .. I'm just worried is all . . . " The girl looked to Tifa who had an eyebrow raised.

"Er well . . . You know how excited Yuffie gets when it comes to things over . . Vincent . . " She blushed red and looked away. Tifa made a face.

"Oh .. . Yuffie. . . " The girl looked around and noted the strange tension in the air.

"Well, there really isn't a way around it I suppose, we can't not invite her." Marlene nodded,

"True . . .maybe we could delay her invite?" Tifa started to laugh looking at Vincent who held a soft expression, he wasn't paying attention to them but was watching his daughter whom was sitting on the other side of the couch with one leg folded under her and the other hanging off the edge. She was picking at her grey 'dress' though he could tell she was trying to figure the situation out.

"I'm sure things will be ok. We'll try our best to protect you." She and Marlene started to laugh again. The girl would soon find out exactly what they meant. Tifa saw her looking at the girls that were playing and put a hand to her hip.

"Do you want to play with them too? There are plenty of dolls, right girls?" Min was the first to look up but her look was only caught by Vincent's daughter, she clearly didn't want her to play with them. Yuki shrugged,

"Yeah. . . " Tifa smiled, not catching on but soon the smile was gone at the rather mean look that was on the girl's pale face. She looked off at the books on the shelf,

"I don't know what those are anyways." She knew what dolls were, she'd seen them in stores she passed by when she'd been on the road. She knew you were supposed to pretend they were real people, pretend they could talk and such. Tifa had a hurt look,

"The girls can show you honey, it's no problem." Red eyes met red eyes,

"I think perhaps patience on this would be better." Tifa looked to Vincent, whose deep voice had made Min and Yuki look up, they weren't familiar with him as much as the girl had realized. Tifa gave a sigh and a nod,

"Alright, I suppose you are right. . ." She turned to the little girl on the couch.

"If you need anything, let me know, ok?" She nodded and Tifa left. She fiddled with the gray shirt, taking glances at those other girls that seemed to ignore her existance. She turned and looked at her father who was on a different tab than this morning. He looked at her after a while of studying him, he tilted his head as if to ask her if she needed something. She turned away, looking at the floor. She looked to the girls who had been watching, they'd turned back to the dolls as quickly as they could. She slid off the couch,

"I require to use the bathroom now." She walked away, her tiny feet padded on the wooden floors. Anything to get out of the room with those girls.

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><p><strong>Notie, She has a really bad way of making up things, like words to go along with description (clouds eye description is one) It's also really difficult to keep everyone in character too DX sorry if its not on par. 3 is done I just have to do some editing. Thank yuh<strong>


	3. Family Man

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 3: Family Man**

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><p>The days seemed to come and go quickly for the family that lived in 7th Heaven and soon a week had passed since the newest family member had arrived. The little one that was known mostly as 'new comer' still adhorned the gray shirt from before. She'd found out it was Cloud's; He hadn't minded since he usually wore work clothes as it was. She'd taken to him far better then anyone thought she would have but then again she was Vincent's daughter and those two got a long well.<p>

Her relationship with him had grown aswell, Tifa had been rather proud to see him sitting in a chair by her as she slept at night. It was almost as if she slept better there with him around and Tifa approved mightily especially since she seemed to have night terrors. He had grown more accustomed to tucking her in as well, she noticed the physical contact between them was slowly growing too. At first he'd been reluctant with her, but Tifa knew that he'd get better. His life had been nothing but fighting and hiding so she knew it would take some time adjusting. It wasn't like her and Cloud who were country kids and raised to know what family was.

Her relationship with Marlene could have been better however. Tifa thought that the only reason things between them hadn't been worse was on account that Marlene was a little more mature then others around her age and the fact that the lil one had the quiet trait her father had. Spoke only when it was necessary.

Her and the other girls shocked her most, she didn't seem to take to them well at all. She wasn't sure why but when she tried to bring it up with Min or Yuki they shrugged it off as if they were best friends and didn't know what she was talking about.

Today she would be meeting Denzel, Marlene's brother. He also worked in the delivery service with Cloud but lived in a different place, a small apartment building just on the other side of Edge. He had a little a boy that stayed with him, Martin, another orphan. She hoped that a boy would be a nice switch and that maybe they would be friends, she really wanted her to have that, a friend around her age.

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><p>The bar was open, the first few customers trickled in as Tifa greeted them with a pleasant goodmorning. Vincent's daughter sat at the bar in one of her new dresses, a dark green baby doll type. The sleeves were tiny and poofed a little bit. Her black hair was pulled out of her face using clips. She was eating eggs and had a tiny mug of coffee. When they had taken her out to shop, Marlene and Tifa had been gone the whole day with her. They'd gotten her hair accessories and some shoes, though the girl seemed to not like them much. When they returned there was a tiny pink mug with a little bow around the curved handle. Cloud and Vincent sat there at the bar awaiting them, a smug grin on Cloud's face. Tifa inferred that she liked that mug a lot more then all the things she had gotten that day but realized it had nothing to do with greatfulness and everything to do with how she put things together. She would use that mug for a long time, but she would out grow her clothes. She smiled at her as she used it now. Her dainty sips cute, she surely attracted a lot of attention from the customers too.<p>

She lightly swung her bare legs, she refused to wear socks or tights and wouldn't wear shoes unless she had to. Once her plate was done she slid off the stool and reached up to grab her plate and fork before padded around the bar to the sink where she stood on her tippy toes to put the plate there. A few women smiled at how cute she was. She came back around and looked expectantly at Tifa as she stood back on her tippy toes to get her mug. Once accomplished she sipped it and waited. Tifa smiled and handed her a stack of napkins where she promptly set her mug on the stool and went to the customers, handing out the napkins. The women cooed and thanked her, she didn't seem to react to such affection the same as others. It apparently made her all the more adorable.

Min and Yuki looked in and watched as she helped with the tiny things. Handing out the extra things, taking plates, or helping wipe off a table (she had to stand on chairs just to reach). Min was growing more angrier at how much attention she was recieving too. It just wasn't fair.

"Min. . ." Yuki pulled her out of the way of the threshold as a tall man in black walked through. All eyes were on Vincent as he came to check on his little daughter, Tifa tried to hide her smile. He could never express how changed this was making him. In such good ways too, she remembered when he wouldn't talk to anyone other then a yes or a no and maybe a nod. Back in the days when getting him to socialize even a tiny bit was nil, when he only existed to kill and defend. Since Avalanche he had grown a lot more, opened up more, realized that his life didn't need to be all of killing and hiding, that he had people that cared and worried about him. Avalanche in truth was like a family, they'd grown together through the tough and the extremely thin moments of hurt. Now that he had a blood tie, something his very own he was definately growing more. He needed love, the unconditional love that only a child could give was just right. Truth be told she needed a little help growing herself, Tifa saw it as a great opportunity for them both to grow together. The man was over 60, but they would have a dear time finding themselves . . . with in each other.

She saw him stand near the bar as he watched her help out. She really enjoyed being busy, a good trait in a child. She was 16 years old but looked no older then six. Tifa thought that perhaps her mentality really was that of a 16 year old. Sometimes she thought she might be older and yet other times she sure acted the age she looked. She was a strange and confounding creature at that. A rather average yet dangly looking young man came in the door with a young boy that looked about 10. Denzel and Martin. She smiled and waved, he grinned and herded Martin to the bar. Vincent's lil one kept up with her duties not noticing that even her father was watching her.

"Hey Vincent, glad to see you in town for once." Denzel's bright eyes smiled at the much taller man before him, Martin's hazel ones wide at him. Vincent tore his ruby eyes from his daughter and looked to the much more grown Denzel. He seemed to grow more everytime he passed by. He nodded to him, eyes flickering to Martin. Denzel ruffled the young boy's dark brown hair and grinned again, his eyes scanned around the room until they rested on the busy little girl.

"Well, no mistaking which is your's, pretty little thing." Tifa leaned in,

"Yes she is, really popular with the customers if you haven't noticed." She had a laugh in her words, Denzel agreed.

"Sweety?" The girl handed some fresh napkins to a blonde woman before turning around and heading back to the bar. She looked up at her father with a tender look before she turned her matching red gaze to Tifa. She gestured to the boys.

"This is Denzel and Martin." Denzel kneeled down and held out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Thanks to you Vincent's stayed around a lot longer." He grinned and she gave him a questioning look. Vincent took a seat willing to let them do all the talking.

"Do you not accomodate this area often?" Vincent looked down at her as Denzel gave Tifa a look over how she worded her sentence, she could only nod.

"No, I visit when I have the time or if I have business in the area." She tilted her head. He rested his gloved hand over his gun, Cerberus as she had come to know.

"My . . . occupation requires that I travel." She nodded, she figured it must be like that. She didn't think about him leaving though. She looked to the dark haired Martin, he almost was hiding behind Denzel. He peeked at her and she pouted, looking up at Denzel. He laughed,

"Martin is a bit shy around girls. Give him some time, he'll come around." She saw that Martin was blushing, how odd.

She was about to tell him it made no sense whether she was a girl or not but Cloud came in and her eyes lit up. He took his sunglasses off and put them a top his head, he too made the people turn to look though most the lookers were women.

"Denzel, Martin." He nodded to them both, his turn to ruffled Denzel's hair. He looked down at the little girl that was staring up at him. He nodded,

"Ah, yes. Our short stuff." He bent down and much to Tifa and Vincent's surprise he picked her up and sat her tiny self on his hip. She reached up and took his shades before putting them on herself. Tifa started to laugh before he clapped her hands together once.

"Oh! This I have to get a picture of. Watch the bar boys!" She ran out of the room and into the next leaving a wide eyed Denzel and a soft appearing Vincent. She looked at her father through the dark shades, she watched as the corner of his mouth lightly tilted. Was he smiling?

"Ha ha, you are so cute that even Vincent is smiling. Thats a big feat." Denzel nodded, he was laughing as Tifa waltzed back in with a camera, a huge smile on her face. She took a few pictures of her in Cloud's arms before she had Vincent take her,

"Vincent needs some to put in his apartment." She giggled as his daughter was pryed from Cloud and shoved into his arms, where he held her akwardly as pictures were taken. She saw Min and Yuki watching from the doorway and remembered a poster in Costa Del Sol. She looked to the camera and gave it a solemn look before she slowly pulled the shades down on her nose and giving the camera a sassy diva look. They burst into fits of laughter (except Vincent who couldn't really see) even a few of the women at the far end of the bar had laughed. She noted Min's look of disapproval and felt satisfied.

The pictures were over after a few more laughs, she gave Cloud back his shades and he'd smiled for her. She was more then pleased when Vincent didn't put her down though. He held her in one arm so she was half cradled against his chest. She realized just how much his scent was soothing to her. His personal scent was mixed with the scent of travel and gunpowder, hint of wine. Had she told anyone else this they'd have probably looked at her strangely, had she told him or Cloud they'd have understood how it was possible.

Marlene came in, dragging Min and Yuki in with her as she hugged Denzel. They talked and laughed a bit and Tifa and Cloud added in. Vincent sat back down on the stool an set his lil one in his lap. It was surprising what having a small child did for a man, once the looks were bewildered or cautious as he'd came in and then once all the women had figured out their cute and adorable 'waitress' was his daughter it was like he was the lime light. Instant change. All the women were suddenly eye balling him like fresh meat. She liked how Marlene pretended she and Vincent weren't there.

Tifa smiled at her and leaned over the bar as Cloud answered his phone, he talked little but nodded a lot as if the person could see it. Once off he turned to his family,

"That was Cid. They'll be here in a few hours. He said that he had everyone but Reeve and Nanaki. Said they wouldn't be able to make it this time. " Tifa nodded, a small wave of disappointment flashed across her eyes what was gone. He turned to Vincent,

"He said to tell you that Nanaki will still make 'your date' what ever that means." He grinned, he knew exactly what it meant. Vincent nodded unscathed from Cid's joke. His lil one looked up at him, he adjusted her so that she didn't hang over his knees.

* * *

><p>The bar was rather quiet, Tifa having closed a little after lunch. The girls were in the living room 'playing' while Tifa and Marlene were preparing a big lunchdinner for their friends that were nearly there, Cloud and Denzel were in the garage, assuming that they were getting in some last delivery things finished. The ruby eyed daughter had no idea where her father was, and she was sorely disappointed to find out she was expected to wait in the living room with Min and Yuki. She had sat patiently on the couch for a while as the other two played with their dolls and clothes and such. She grew bored of watching them though and soon found herself going to the bookshelves and nosey-ing about.

She fingered the spines of the books, not really seeing anything that caught her attention. She soon came to the music station, it was box like and old. She didn't think it was a new product at all. She drew figures in the dust all in her own little world until the brisk tone of Min was heard.

"You think you are some hot stuff don't you?" At first she wasn't sure she had been talking to her until she'd turned around and saw Min staring.

"Hot stuff?" She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm not buying that either. That whole story of not knowing normal things. You are a pretty good liar." Red eyes narrowed. She knew what lieing was, she'd done a lot to save her ass in tough situations. She hadn't done any lieing here though. She looked to Yuki who was trying her best to not pay attention.

"I'm not familar with your slang. I-" She was rudely cut off.

"Yeah yeah, right. You just want attention, I get it. You've been with out a daddy for a long while. I'm sure your mom was a real tool for you to have left. Or did she drop you off?" She looked back to Yuki who wasn't looking at them. She took a step back and her little green dress brushed against the book case.

"I travelled a long ways to find here. It wasn't easy. This mother you think I have doesn't exist." She rolled those black eyes again and it was starting a fire with in the little ruby eyed girl.

"Yeah whatever, I'm just telling you now, we don't buy your sob story. Yuki and I both know what its like to lose people we love but you don't see us crying and making things up." She didn't know why this upset her so much but she could feel her cheeks heating up. She was about to say something when the doorway caught her attention. There stood her missing father, he'd been watching the whole thing. She looked away and walked passed Min, Yuki still oblivious. She went to the glass doors that led to a grass area just outside. She tried to open the doors but they were locked, the locks were a little to high for her but she still tried to reach them. A darkened presence was behind her, swooping her up and cradling her. His scent was like an instant calming salt and her anger and frustration was melting away. He walked passed the girls, Min was back to pretending to be a good sweet and quiet child.

On the way to the bar he had said under his breath,

"We'll leave for somewhere quieter soon. Bare with it as best as you can." His voice was even more soothing and she wondered where they would be going. She couldn't ponder long as she was once again thrown into another unfamiliar situation. A crowded scene that wasn't unpleasant. She faced the room that had suddenly grown quiet as he'd entered, all eyes were on her and she felt immediatly uncomfortable.

"Well I'll be damned, she really does look his clone!" Tifa laughed at this loud man. He was a little short with a worn look and cropped blonde hair. He looked in his 40's.

"That is Cid Highwind." Vincent murmered to her, he nodded with a devilish grin.

"And I'm Uncle Barret! Marlene's dad." This large man had jabbed a thumb at himself while introducing, and when she said large she meant huge. Huge and dark. His right arm from his elbow down was all metal. He was loud with a booming voice but his eyes were real gentle. Marlene was hanging off him, she couldn't see the family resemblance but liked that.

Vincent seemed to look around, until he faced the bar. There sitting on it was a long legged woman, immediately she thought this woman was beautiful. Her black hair was layered and the back layers made it to her shoulders. Her face was youthful, and she could tell she was a stealthy person. Her knee high beige boots kicked up as she swung her legs almost childishly.

"Vincent Valentine! Long time no seee, I know you missed me. So . .. here I am!" She jumped down off the bar and threw her arms up in a dramatic fashion. She felt Vincent grunt, trying to keep in a remark she guessed. She was surprised when the woman waltzed up to them. She looked her square in the eye and was astounded.

"And you are most certainly his squirt. Yup, could sooooo tell it." She pointed up at Vincent,

"I'm sure you've told her all kinds of amazing things about your very best of babe friends, but I'll say it cause frankly, no one can say my name enough." The lil one tried her hardest not to smile at her haughtiness, how obnoxious she was and how full of herself she was.

"I am _the _Yuffie Kisaragi!" She nodded, a proud expression on her face.

"Yes, the one and only White Rose of Wutai, Crown Princess, Greatest Ninja in Gaia . .. " She went on and on until they started to laugh at her. She stopped with a pout as they all started to mingle with each other. She realized that the ruby eyed girl was the only one really paying attention. She rolled her eyes and huffed. Her attention was back on her,

"So, promising things are hanging about from you. . . So which is it? Guns or swords cause really-"

"Yuffie, It's too early for that sort of thing . . ." She was surprised that he reprimanded his 'best of babe friends' and even went as far as turning halfly as if to sheild her. She held her hands out, she thought she might have seen his face pale a little bit.

"Come oooon, I won't drop her or anything." She grinned and Vincent looked down at his daughter. She gave him a light smile and he grudgingly held her out for the Wutain princess. The room went quiet again as they saw her take the girl into her arms and place her on her hip like a pro.

"Contrary to popular belief . . .I am a bit more mature then I was last year." She stuck her tongue out at the 'crowd' which made them all break out in smiles.

"Ol' Vince looks like some mama bear just waiting for a reason to become an angry mama bear and maul your ass." Cid laughed before taking out a cigarette. Yuffie laughed, it was a nice laugh despite how loud she was.

"Are you staying here?" It was Tifa, coming over to stand with Vincent. There was sandwhiches and such spread out on the tables, there was mostly men here she realized.

A nod came from Yuffie,

"Shyeah! I should have been called the first night she showed up. I think we should name her after me, Yuffie!" Tifa shook her head with a laugh, she looked at Vincent who had a strange expression. He looked at Yuffie strangely.

"Oh come on, Yuffie Jr.? Its got a nice ring to it." Tifa laughed again. Barret came over, sandwhich in both hands, flesh and metal.

"Tifa, you gotta pack me some of these for the road back!" He grinned at gave Vincent a pal look.

"Hows being daddy for ya? Bet thats a nice ole switch." Vincent nodded, Tifa smiled as Yuffie started to say something but was cut off by loud laughter,

"Yeah! Shera's as big as a -" Tifa went over to him, Cloud had a pained looked, as if he really didn't want to hear pregnant stories. Barret left to go talk to Marlene and Denzel, she saw Martin watching her in Yuffie's arms. She nudged Vincent,

"Hey, go mingle. She's cool with me." She wiggled her brows at him, a grin on her face.

"I can't trust you with materia but you expect me to trust you with my child?" She started to laugh.

"Duh! I can't sell or trade her for anything good, come oooon." She smiled at Yuffie's humor and it caught her attention.

"See? She loves me already, I mean, who wouldn't? " She started to make random kissy faces at him and a rough sigh could be heard. The little girl happened to see Marlene to be watching, her face red. She caught her gaze and quickly looked away.

"I suppose if she doesn't mind. " She grinned and began to skip off into the living room direction before she was grabbed by the arm that wasn't holding his daughter. She batted her lashes at him.

"Ask her." She smiled and turned to the girl in her arm.

"Tell Daddy-o its ok." She grinned as she nodded to Vincent who seemed extremely uptight.

"Alriiiight! Lets go!" She hurried into the living room where Yuki and Min were still at. She waved at them before plopping down next to them. She set the now rigid girl next to her before picking up a doll.

"So. . . .You like it here?" The girl looked at Yuffie, her dark purple eyes looking over the clothes the two girls had spread out.

"Yes." She grinned and shook her head once,

"Nice long answer Vinnie Jr.!" She let out a few giggles. Min excused herself with Yuki for some sandwhiches and it was like Yuffie turned into a new person.

"How did you find 7th heaven?" Red eyes looked to dark purple ones.

"I asked." She nodded,

"Yeah, who told you Vincent would be here?" Oh she was good. Red eyes squinted.

"I asked." She grinned, liking those answers yet also not liking them.

"You can tell me, Auntie Yuffie." She winked.

"Though if I had my way I could be mamaaaaa Yuffie. Shyeah!" She started to laugh again. She thought about Marlene and wonder if she wanted to be mama too. She nearly shook her head at all his romantic attention.

"I know some people." Yuffie went quiet, stoic ninja now. She'd do anything for some good info.

"Who?" She shook her head and long black hair moved like another living being.

"Not anyone that you'd like. " She nodded,

"Yeah, I thought so. This makes me wonder how you found them." The air was tense as she thought about telling her, how it might effect the others. She was worried they'd be hunted down.

"Connections happen through traumatic experiences." Yuffie's eyes glazed over before returning to that airy look.

"Sure does." She grinned and patted her little hand.

"We are gonna be soooo close, just you wait and see. I'm going to teach you all the good stuff, you'll be soooo amazing! Just like me!" She grinned before standing up and walking around the room. "You defintely have promise of being a ninja." She looked outside, rain clouds forming in the now just starting of evening.

"Buuuuuut you still need a name! Every good ninja has a totally sweet name." had Tifa told everyone that?

"How much do you know?" Yuffie swung around, her head band tails swinging too.

"Oh, a lot. I did some . . . .checking up. I am a professional researcher you know." She smiled, the red eyed girl smiled back.

"I'm amazed that punks are still creating people like this. " Red eyes looked down at the wood floor.

"How long have you been wandering around? When did you realized you have family outside that place? What made you want out?" Her head buzzed with so many questions, the buzzing formed memories. Painful ones.

"Well. . ." She looked at the beautiful Ninja Princess. She seemed eager.

"I believe for a few years, I was searching." She nodded to that answer,"One of the other's sire was a doctor, I realized that maybe I too had blood out in the world so I got into their files and found out about the cells I was made from."

"Vincent Valentine and Lucretia Crescent." The ruby eyed girl nodded, the ninja really did do some research.

"It wasn't just growing us and raising. It was a white pristine hell. Poking and prodding, testing us. It was . . .not . . ..fun." She searched for pity in the Wutain eyes but found none and was pleased.

"I didn't want to die, I've got this instinct to live, its the same with Ya-" Her eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth. However the ninja woman didn't look surprise.

"Oh I know, I know about him and the one that lives near him. They have help from another . . . er . . .void recipient." She nodded, knowing whom she was talking about.

"I stayed with him, he took care of me for a while, told me how to get here and such. Why haven't you told anyone if you know? They aren't exactly liked. . . " She nodded while striding around the room looking for things to steal.

"Well, I was thinking about how they aren't doing any harm. . . I watched the two younger ones, they don't seem like the plotting for world domination like before. No leader with malicious thoughts, I guess they don't care for it. Besides the longer haired one is kinda cute. Those flowers he works so hard to keep up . . ." She giggled. She realized that Yuffie must have really been watching them. She smiled though, glad she wasn't going to turn them in. She watched this obnoxious woman open up a random book and flip through the pages unceremoniously.

"He is well informed from the older one. Did you meet him?" She'd never looked up from the book as she talked to her,

"Not really, I briefly saw him though." It was a lie but Yuffie didn't catch it and grinned,

"Handsome or what?" The ruby eyed girl nodded,

"He wasn't unattractive."

"Twila." The little girl raised a brow as Yuffie looked to her.

"Twila . . .Valentine." A small warm smile broke out on the girls face. Twila. It sounded perfect.

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><p><strong>So third chapter, hope the characters were . . . well . . IC lol. I'm taking things a little slow in hopes it comes out a little better. Reviews are appreciated, tell me if things are cluttered or confusing, whatever it is.<strong>


	4. See You Later

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 4: See You Later**

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><p><em>I'd roughed it out in the wild not even three months now, I barely survived and yet it was still better then the Nest. I'd made a small camp outside of Bone Village, a tiny fire going in an attempt to keep above freezing. It was like a never ending cold purgatory and with out supplements I would no doubt be able to die of the cold. I was almost ready to go to sleep when i was jolted wide awake by the sound of another heart beat and crinkling leather.<em>

_"I've been looking for you, S-23. Where is G-10?" A dark voice, male. He had a faint accent. I turned towards it and saw that there was indeed a man crouching before me. Dressed in mostly red leather, it accented his hair which was mostly silver with strips if crimson. I supposed it was similar to my streaks of hidden silver. How did he know my code . . . how did he know hers?_

_"Identify yourself?" His eyes shimmered, he too had mako filled irises. One of our kind._

_"I am most known as G but you may call me Genesis." G. . .? I couldn't look away from him though I wanted to. I wasn't yet sure if I could trust this man._

_"G-10. . .required to attend a different position of knowledge. To attain a . . .different path." He looked away from me and nodded._

_"Ah, that . . isn't good. Seeing as how I found you.I thought perhaps you would travel together." So he was _that_ G, that definitely wasn't good. She probably wasn't alive and by the look in his eyes he knew her chances were slim as well._

_"S-23 made it clear that G-10 could travel with S-23." I shook my head, I wasn't supposed to talk like that anymore. His eyes were suddenly gentle and almost warm. Almost. _

_"It's difficult, I know all too well." He seemed to remember something by looking into the flames. " I have directions for you. " He reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to me, I took it quickly before looking at it. It was a crude map with circled places and arrows, I saw a few names and notes.._

_"You are to go to a small docking town south, there is a man with a boat waiting for you. Say nothing more then 'G' to him. He will take you across the water and to a small village, Moka Town, where you will need to travel to Costa del Sol. Stay in the shadows, travel at night. Don't talk to anyone and don't make yourself noticed. " I was following his words on the map, it was all there._

_"Another man will be waiting for you, he is one of our kind. He will take you to another boat that goes to Junon, take it and go there. Do the same as before. Speak to no one and make yourself hidden. There should be another one of ours waiting at the docking. Find him and from there he will tell you where to go. Do all this as I have told you and you will get to your destination." I looked at him and I must have looked half gone. This was major._

_"Why? Why help?" He sighed and pulled out another package. It was food. He left it there by the fire for me to get._

_"You need it, I can help so I have offered such. I know its the long way but its absolutely nessecary. They are looking for you both. ..." He seemed to ponder something" G-10 is to killed on sight. . ." My mouth opened and i was silent for a while, he'd said it more to himself, not for anyone in particular._

_" G-10 was weak . . .hurt sense" He nodded._

_"I will try to locate her. If I do . . .I will send her to you." I shook my head._

_"You are where she was trying to attain. Vincent Valentine may not even be a garentee of saftey. " Snow flakes bustled around us. He nodded again._

_"I have faith." He put his hand to his chest. I looked away from him finally, the fire was a nicer place to see though it was already reminding me of the wild look in his eyes._

_"Our kind will see to it that you are safe, i have secured it that you may stay with either of them as long as you might feel nessecary. The longer you stay with either is probably better. They may be expecting you to go to Midgar as is." He seemed solemn. It was strange that a . . . .stranger was helping. He was my kind though. I nodded, it was the best of thanks I could give him. He stood up to leave and said over his shoulder,_

_"Your saftey is secure with him, stay as young as long as you can." I couldn't help but to stand up,_

_"Wait, where will your location be after you acquire G-10?" We'd been close she and I, if he was to take her somewhere . . .i would definitley want to know where so that I may beable to re-unite with her. He seemed to stand and think about it for a while. He began to walk away before he through over his shoulder,_

_"New Banora." _

* * *

><p>I woke up sweating but cold, I'd been dreaming about surgery. A time when I'd had stomach pains and nothing was working so they cut me open to see. It hadn't been a fun trip, and from then on things had been stranger. More then usual which was pretty .. .strange. It was right about the time that G-10 and I had become closer. Thinking about her made me a little sad, I missed her a lot and wondered if he'd ever found her. I decided to be positive and believe he did. I'd be checking out New Banora once things were settled i suppose. I had other people I needed to visit too of course. I looked around to note that the room was empty and dark, not a pleasant feeling. I was almost tempted to call for someone but thought against it, Id go to them.<p>

* * *

><p>She slowly slid off the bed taking the large dark blue comforter with her and wrapping it around her self the best she could, she even placed some over her head like a hood. It dragged a long ways behind her as she stumbled to the door. She finally reached enough to open it and left the door open wide as she made her slow way to the stairs. She put one tiny hand to the railing and took each step one at a time, not really knowing where she was going, she was in a state of not quite a wake and not quite asleep.<p>

Once she made it down the stairs she turned and headed to the living room area, Cloud had heard someone getting up and peeked down the stairs, barely catching a lump of dark comforter heading around the corner. A thin blond brow came up in wonder. He descended silently to check it out.

Twila made her way to the couch, a single lamp was on and a single person was up and sitting there. She never even hesitated to crawl up on the couch, a small bundle of blue. Cloud looked in to see a very surprised Vincent with his hands up and the bundle wiggling its way onto his lap, he saw a small pale leg become uncovered only to see it slide back under the safety of the blanket. He grinned as he saw the head of the 'creature' bury into Vincent's lap before apparently sighing and ceasing all movement. Cloud leaned against the railing as Vincent set an arm down gently over the back of the 'creature' and the other to rest on the arm of the couch.

Cloud was shirtless and in a pair of gray sweatpants, his hair more messier then ever. He made his way towards them before sitting in the chair next to the couch, he smiled as he saw Vincent lean over and tilt his head and give a look, he was trying to hear something, he finally leaned back and Cloud gave him a face to share.

"Something about 'New Banora'." Cloud's face scrunched up in thought.

"You think maybe she somehow went there?" They were whispering as lightly as they could, not for the household's sake but the tiny one in Vincent's lap.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps she knows someone there. . ." Cloud nodded, that very well could be. He gave a light expression then,

"She probably had a bad dream, good she came down here for you. Thats a real good sign, Vincent." He nodded then, glad she had too. It was late though, or early. . .She had about five hours before anyone else would be up. Or so he thought until he heard footsteps up above them, he figured the girls room. There was a thump and Cloud tensed up.

"What was that?" He stood up and went to the railing contemplating calling out and seeing if anyone would answer. More footsteps were heard before a crashing sound and Cloud was up those stairs quicker then lightening.

Vincent waited in suspense wondering what was going on when a few minutes later more footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. Sweatpants were seen before Cloud came into view coming down the stairs with a light pink bundle of his own. Yuki was crying into his shoulder and he was patting her back. He had a concerned look on his face. The blue monster peeked up, a tiny bit of the blanket pulling over and revealing her red eyes.

He leaned over to let her down and she went ot the couch and curled up in the corner.

"She still has nightmares, I'd take her to Tifa but . . .Twila is already down here so. . ." Vincent nodded and watched as Twila sat up a little more before turning and looking at the worn Yuki.

"Of what?" The air was tense as Yuki stared at Twila for a while. Cloud was concerned that it may make things worse. Yuki looked away,

"A few years ago .. .don't you know what happened?" She tilted her head at Yuki.

"A brief amount through the point of view of a different kind of victim." This rose questions through out the room, what had that meant.

"My parents were killed, my dad through geostigma and my mom . . ." Tears came to her eyes and she started to rub them.

"It gets better once you tell people about it. The more you keep them to yourself the worse they get, the more the terror grows." Yuki looked to this girl with hollow eyes, Twila's tone so more mature. Vincent looked to Cloud who had an astonished look.

"It's hard to talk about it .. .shadow creepers. They killed my mom." Twila nodded, she had heard about that.

"Yet you are still alive." She nodded shallowly.

"And Min too." Twila's eyes grew heavy.

"Oh? Is she?" Her voice was harsh and Cloud finally returned Vincent's look. Twila snuggled back into her father.

"Are her parents deceased through the same means?" She shook her head although Twila couldn't see.

"No, geostigma." Twila hadn't cared, but she did feel that she should.

"That's the sickness that broke out?" Yuki mhmed.

"Since you are down here . . . do you have nightmares too?" Twila tensed up before sitting back up again. Vincent moved her so that she was sitting more then lounging.

"Yes. Everytime I close my eyes." Yuki looked worried.

"What kind is it? What happens?" Twila looked to the floor before gazing up at her father. He was still like a statue, Cloud was waiting patiently.

"It's different. Sometimes its about men with knifes and needles and tubes, sometimes I'm floating in a tube of green." She saw Cloud tense up out of the corner of her eye.

"Still sometimes it's something else." Yuki leaned forward.

"Like what?" Her voice small and unsure if she should ask.

"Fire and death." Vincent closed his eyes, he wasn't sure what to think of this. She was being awfully nonchalant about her fears. He wondered if it was her way of coping.

"Those scientists did a lot of . . .bad things. I'd have rather my siblings go out from being eaten by shadow creepers and geostigma then what most of them got." She looked away from the wide eyes of Yuki.

"Twila, whats in New Banora? That place?" She froze and swallowed, had she talked in her hazed state? She slowly turned to look at him, her friend.

"No way. New Banora holds family." He scrunched up thinking.

"Did others like you escape?" She nodded, looking up to see if her father was listening but his eyes were still closed.

"If she survived the north then yes. The rest were terminated." She could feel a heat radiating through her blanket from her father.

"They 'cooked' them as we called it. Stick the unwanted experiments in a room that burns them all to ash." Her skin had gone cold. Fire and Death. Yuki wasn't sure what to believe, she may have new sets of nightmares.

"Why did they feel they needed to terminate the rest?" She looked up at her father.

"She and I were the only ones they decided to keep, the others were 'failed'. I've got their Egg. G-10 . . .I'm not sure what they needed her for. She was special. But I guess they decided differently for her after all. . ." Cloud leaned forward,

"Egg? What does that mean?" She turned and shrugged.

"The place was called Nest. I assume its a code. " Cloud's eyes were intense suddenly.

"Who knows what egg means?" She looked away and shrugged.

"Twila, who?" She settled back into her father.

"I don't want to know. I'll sleep a lot worse if I worry about it." Cloud sighed and leaned back shaking his head, he couldn't push her. Vincent looked to Yuki whom he was surprised was half asleep. Seemed talking about it had been her remedy after all. He looked down at his little one and noted she was almost there as well.

* * *

><p>Twila was helping out in the bar again, she hadn't slept all that well and was a little bit grouchy. She had a broom and trying her best to sweep up around the wooden floors, the handle went far above her head in height and was akward to use. She wanted an excuse to do something with her hands and not her mind though, didn't want to think about what she'd accidently told Yuki last night and how that might end up at Min's end. She paused and went to take a drink out of her coffee cup. She also had a water glass that was empty and Tifa continously refilled it. Twila drank a lot of water. She ate a lot of food too. The thing was that no one knew it was so she could make the energy to keep her form up either.<p>

"Oh hunny, I think Vincent is calling for you. Upstairs I think?" She nodded and went to the stairs. She was wearing her green dress again.

Once she made it she looked around,

"Vincent?" She heard chuckling,

"Shouldn't you call him Dad or Daddy or something?" She turned seeing Yuffie coming out of her Father's room. She dully noted that her father's face was mottled with a blush . . . Vincent blushing? Yuffie was all grins.

"What did you do?" She started to laugh and looked behind her at the embarrassed Vincent.

"Oh you know, just kissing all over your pops." She grinned and put her hands on her hips.

"Yuffie, don't say such things." She made a mock hurt face.

"Buuuuut, you told me to! What was it? 'Yuffie, perhaps you should try honesty, ku ku ku'" Twila tried not to laugh at her, she'd even tried to make her voice lower. He shook his head.

"You are such an old fart! Live a little. Run around with a few women,"She leaned foward with her hand at her mouth as if she was telling a secret,"meeee!" leaning back with a triumphic look,"Give Twila a few siblings!" He put his hands up to his face as he stepped to the door and closed it on her.

"Heeeey! Meanie!" She laughed and looked down at the little Twila.

"Dontcha worry, I'll have you a few sibs before long." Twila grinned as a fist was heard on the door.

"Yuffie. . " She laughed at his scolding muffled tone. Twila watched Yuffie and her father argue back and forth on what was appropriate to say around children when he had broke off mid sentence and opened the door where Yuffie made a failed break for it as Vincent caught her around her belt and yanked her back in telling her to give him back his materia. She watched with curious eyes as the two started to wrestle around and Vincent 'frisked' her for the materia.

"Oh! You just want and excuse to touch my totally hot body!" She was laughing wildly as Vincent threw her off him before reaching for her belt again. Twila shook her head as Tifa with a hand full of pictures in her hands came up behind her.

"What are you two doing . . ?" Her face was in a flat expression before she quickly realized that Twila was there where she bent to cover her eyes.

"Whats wrong with you two? Vincent yeah, I can see how you wouldn't know, but Yuffie? Come on, close the doors if you two are gonna do that, there are children living here!" Vincent had tried to stop the wild Yuffie from plunging him further into embarrassment until she gave him a big smooch on the cheek. He threw her off again and she landed on the bed with a bounce and a laugh. Tifa shook her head but then held up the pictures.

"Twila's cute pictures from the other day are done. I've got Marlene fixing you up with some frames as we speak." She had an almost sad tone, it was light and layered to sound cheery and mask it however. Twila wondered then what was going on, Vincent had called her up she remembered. She looked to the bed where a bag sat, it was stuffed full. She then looked to Vincent who was accepting some of the pictures Tifa had, he looked through them with a pleased look on his pale face, she supposed Yuffie was all forgotten now.

"Are you leaving?" Yuffie swung her long legs over the bedside, her face not so laughing now. Vincent looked down at his tiny daughter,

"Yes." That was it? She gave a small sigh and could tell Yuffie was seconds from exploding with questions.

"Where?" He put the pictures in a pocket in the full pack before checking his holster.

"To Kalm first." She opened her mouth to say something but stopped when her father stuck his hand out at Yuffie who started to grumble. She suddenly dug out some orbs out of a pouch attached to her belt and handed them to him. He attached them to his gun and seemed pleased.

"Whats in Kalm?" He turned to her, solemn was his face.

"You .. .can probably stay if you do not wish to . . .travel. . ." He seemed nervous then, his red eyes darting away from hers, did it make him uncomfortable for her to be with him or for him to be with out? Or maybe it was something entirely different?

"What do _you _want, Vincent Valentine? Me to go with you, or to stay? I didn't come to be a burden." The women ogled at the little girl's tone before ogling Vincent when he suddenly bent down to look at her better.

"I want you to be safe. I just . . . "He seemed to look away to think better, she also saw other things in those eyes, doubt and depression and didn't understand. "don't know if you'll be safer with myself or. . . " He motioned around them. She nodded and looked to the pack.

"Probably safer with you right now." He stood up and went to a bureau and got out a strange piece of armour.

"We leave tonight." She turned around and went to find cloud.

* * *

><p>Tiny Twila sat up on a metallic shelf with a tool box laying open next to her she picked around and inferred Cloud, whom was covered with all sorts of dirt and grime.<p>

"He'll come back, try not to grow up too fast though." She almost smiled before,

"Don't worry, I'll control it fine." His bright eyes found hers and he realized she was serious. He shook his head as she handed him a tool he'd pointed at,

"Aren't you full of surprises." She nodded,

"I've got . . .a few tricks up my . . .sleeves?" He nodded and grinned, telling her she'd gotten the saying right. He had some large and compicated object out, in the area of mechanics she was completely lost.

"People change you know. . .time heals things . . .and they change." He stopped what he was doing and looked at her again.

"I keep hearing you know people, you keep hinting." She nodded and swallowed before handing him a rag.

"You gonna tell me now or am I going to find out at a bad time? That might lead to me being angry with you for not telling me in the first place. . ." He resumed his tinkering as she thought about his word trap he'd just lain before her.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure that I'm allowed to even tell you. I think I can trust you not to go beserko and fly off with some weapon but . . ." He nearly shook his head again at her language. It had been almost three weeks since she'd come and already her language was changing.

"If its like that then . . ." He gave her a scrunched look, she knew this to be his 'thinking hard' face. She smiled but it left as his own fell away.

"Someone who is supposed to be dead?" She looked away,

"Well . . .perhaps. . . " He sighed and slapped his rag on the whatever.

"Heres the thing, Short Stuff,"His nickname for her caught her attention," as long as they aren't trying to harm people or bring about . . . " He moved his hand around,"world destruction then things are alright. It's when they start to harm good people that makes me . . .go beserko and fly off with some weapon." He grinned at her after copying her words. She smiled too, a good real smile.

"Sheesh, when you do look older. . . Vincent is going to have to use Cerberus a lot more to keep the boys at bay." He chuckled and returned to his tinkering."Or beat them off with my buster. . . " He looked up suddenly as Marlene came to the door of the garage, a worried look on her face.

"This um, is for Twila. . ." She looked around before jumping when she saw her on the shelf. She walked around the junk laying everywhere and handed her a brisk off white envelope with scrawled letters in black.

_**Twila**_

She wondered who it was from, her theory about to be proven. She turned it over and opened it pulling out a letter.

_I have recieved information that danger is near Edge coming up from the south. Take care._

_**G**_

_P.S. Your sister is fine._

She closed it with a sigh and shook her head. He sounded like a real strange man. Warn her of danger in pretty cursive writing. It smelt like fruit and some strange spice. Had he perfumed it too? She saw that she had an audience. Cloud gave her a 'well?' look and Marlene was fidgeting.

"Good thing I'm going to Kalm." Cloud let out a sigh again, this girl . . .

Twila was more concerned on how he'd known her new name. She saw that the nervousness in Marlene hadn't left.

"Did you read it?" She bit her lip and held an apologetic look.

"Marlene. . . "Cloud scolded her and she gave a small moan.

"Oh, I didn't mean too, honest. Just . . .I didn't know you had a sister! That means Vincent has two children right?" Twila looked to Cloud who shook his head at the thick blush on his surrogate daughter's face.

* * *

><p><strong>(I'm having trouble replying so here we go)<strong>

**The Ninja And The Writer : You are one of those critics that scare the piss out of me. I'm so glad you reviewed 8D Summaries are soooo hard for me, but I will surely try to make a better one. Does the one in the first chapter not do a better job either? (aye, she does know them, and the . . .uh redeeming part : D its part of the plot, so hope it works out) **

**fantasycrazy001: Thanks! I'm having a wee bit of trouble with a couple of them DX **


	5. Twila of the Phone

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 5: Twila of the Phone**

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><p><em>I was sure it couldn't get any colder then it was now. I couldn't make a fire anymore from being out in the open (mostly my own paranoia of the wrong someone seeing it) and I was running low on the food G. . .Genesis had given me. Though I could see that I was close to the docking area on the map, I folded it and placed it under the band on my underwear. I knew I was drawing near and stopped for a while, it was almost night and I could just barely make out a figure in the distance.<em>

_I sure footedly walked up to him, I waited patiently for him to be done talking to some woman, who turned around and gasped at me. The man tried to pull her back but she yelled at him to keep me there as she ran off onto a path that led out of sight. it made me incredibley nervous, was she running to tell someone I was there?_

_"G." He nodded and held a hand up._

_"My wife will kill me if I take you with out her coming back. You aren't wearing anything other then that shirt . . . I'm sure she is getting you something warmer. . . " I wondered faintly what was wrong with my gown, it reached to my knees. .._

* * *

><p>I realized now the real reason behind Vincent wanting to travel at night. I'd thought it was because he wanted to get there unnoticed and faster with out traffic. Well, turns out that was exactly right but for the wrong reason. Id assumed because he wasn't good around people, didn't like a lot all at once. It was that but also It wasn't that. It was because of the way he <em>dressed<em>. If I was to pick a color to be conspicuous or to blend in with the night I would have chosen black or dark blue. My father wore red and a whole lot of it. A cloak the same color as his head band, a large metallic claw and boot armour. Reflective and bright. Who'd have thought? Not me, thats for sure.

So yes, in the light he certainly would of stood out. He probably would have looked like some kidnapper, selling a poor girl for booty. Yeah, he wanted us to travel at night so he could 'look cool'. . .

* * *

><p>She wore shoes for the first time since she'd found him but only because he'd threatened to make her go with out coffee for a week. She wore that same green dress (she really liked it) and her tiny brown boots. They were headed to a Station for a motor bike, they weren't going to walk to whole way to Kalm Town thankfully. When they'd gotten there a huge man with a cigar and a stained white tank top was waiting. He was a big fat man, no muscle that she could tell. No hair and barely pants (they'd been falling off surprisingly). He nodded to Vincent who payed him and went around the back. He'd made her stay where she was in the front and she'd felt extremly uncomfortable with that big man watching her. She heard a roaring and backed up as a large black beast came bounding up to her before she realized it was actually a motorbike. She felt pretty dumb after her father had lifted her up onto it. He'd told her to hold on tight and they raced off onto a road that would take them to Kalm Town.<p>

* * *

><p>Vincent had decided that Kalm was a lot like Denzel, it grew everytime he came by. He had his pack slung over a shoulder and his lil one cradled in his clawed arm as he made his way up the flights of stairs to his room. Finally making it there he swiped the key and opened the door heading into the front room of the suite, done up in silvers and whites with black accents. He didn't care for the decor but it was a nice place to sleep. He set the pack on a coffee table in the front room before picking his way to a door that led to a bedroom. He pulled back the shimmering silver covers and laid his fast asleep daughter there, taking off her boots and pulling the covers over her he watched her sleep a few minutes before quietly leaving, shutting the door carefully. He walked into the kitchenette before taking Cerberus out and laying it on the island along with its ammo. He pulled off two sticky notes from the fridge and wrote a note for Twila before he promptly took out his black cellphone and began to write down a list before he left it there. He then readied Cerberus and placed it back into his holster before going to the door and placing the sticky note on it. He looked at it for a moment before taking it off and sticking it much lower, she would probably see it better there. Silently he left, locking the door behind him.<p>

* * *

><p>When I woke up the first thing I thought was that I'd dreamt the whole journey of finding Vincent. All I could see was blinding white and smell crisp air. Too clean where ever I was. I sat up instantly, ready to pull off wires or IVs. There wasn't such though. I was laying in a kingsize bed that was lavished in silk sheets and expensive comforters. I wore my green dress from before and, as I leaned over the side, there was my boots. This must be the apartment, and from the window, It must be morning.<p>

* * *

><p>She took a deep calming breath and slid out of the bed before checking the room, she was the only one in it of course. She went to the door and opened it, these she had no problem with as the handles were engraved like a vehicle but vertically. She found herself walking into a kitchenette and saw the living room from there. That meant the bathroom was probably the other door from in the bedroom. Tiny apartment, tiny enough to know there wasn't anyone else here. She went into the living room and noted the black furniture, all new and such. There was the pack sitting on a glass coffee table, she went to it it and opened up the pocket with her pictures. She flipped through them with a gentle look, there was a few with Cloud in them too, she'd been worried that Tifa had given her all the ones with just her and Vincent. She laid them out on the coffee table before opening the pack up and pulling out various clothes. She let them fall out on the floor too, glad for a mess in all the pristiness, a little mess wasn't so bad.<p>

A large gray shirt fell out and she stared at it before blinking.

"Cloud's shirt?" She bent down to pick it up and raised it to her face. It smelled like 7th Heaven, a mix of familliar scents with out any names. She put it on the table and pulled her green dress off before grabbing the shirt. She was about to put it on before she thought about the bathroom, a bath sounded nice. She turned around to head back to the bedroom when she saw the only color in the apartment stuck to the the gray door. An off shade of yellow, a note. She went to it,

_**There is food in the fridge, I'll be back this evening.  
>On the counter are numbers you may call for emergency or other.<strong>_

She rolled her eyes, but smiled and took the note and put it on the coffee table. Still mostly naked except for panties, she put the shirt back on the table before grabbing one of the metal frame chairs and dragging it into the kitchen area where she stood on it and looked for the paper. Finding it on the island, she scanned the names and numbers. She grinned as she saw Cloud's cell was on there and she contemplated calling him. She would later she figured. She grabbed the paper and got down and back onto the floor. Yuffie had a cell phone, 7th Heaven was of course on there, and her fathers phone. She bit her lip and set it on the coffee table over the pictures before digging around in the pack before pulling out a folded paper that looked in poor shape. Her map, Tifa had found it when she'd given her a bath the first night but being the kind woman she was she hadn't looked at it, only set it away so it wouldn't have gotten wet. Her father had let her keep it in one of his drawers, whether he looked at it or not she didn't know.

Unfolding it she looked down at the foot notes, a newer marking was at the far corner. A number done in a pen of a different color then the map. She saw the modern phone sitting on an end table and wanted to try it but wasn't sure she should from there. She folded it back up and placed it under all the junk on the table before grabbing her shirt and heading for the bedroom. She'd at least take that bath first.

* * *

><p>She had decided that she wasn't going to wear clothes for the day and instead decided to simply wrap her hair up in a towel and leave it at that. She walked out into the kitchenette and opened up the fridge. She saw fruit and cans of juice. She got out a can and looked at it. It was apple juice. From . . .<p>

"Banora?" She yanked on the metal tab and looked down in it. She sniffed it before taking a sip. She agreed with the taste and chugged it down before leaning up to put it on the counter and grabbing another one from in the fridge. She opened it too and drank half of it before pulling out some fruit wedges and munching on them. She took the plate into the living room and set it on the floor before grabbing the phone and digging around for her two papers. She was trying to decide who to call first when she heard a loud voice from outside her door, something about 'rude' and 'going out for a drink'. She wasn't sure if the man was calling someone rude, or if he'd been asking someone to go for a drink, or if he'd been telling a story about going out for a drink and someone had been rude. . . his voice was slurred and there was an apartment between them. She shook her head and began to dial the number on her map. It started to ring and her heart began to race. What was she going to say to him? She couldn't think on it too long as someone picked up the phone,

"Hello?" She swallowed.

"H-hi. . ." She bit her lip, she'd sounded so dumb.

"Did you find him?" She felt tingly, so he did know who it was by her voice at least. She nodded before realizing he couldn't see it.

"Yes, I was there at 7th Heaven for a few weeks." She waited in the silence, had she called at a bad time? She was about to ask when,

"Where are you now? Loz was worried. . ." She rolled her eyes, she hadn't liked Loz at all. Yazoo's tone stated what he thought over his worrying too. She figured that by him saying that Loz was worried . . he probably meant he was.

"Kalm at the moment. He said he travels frequently." She heard a breath being let out and wondered if he'd been holding it in.

"Good, travelling is good." She almost smiled at his new tone, his emotion spectrum was small, one thing that had been a problem when she'd stayed with him. Emotion was a big part of communication and both of them had lacked a lot of it for a while.

"Are . . are you busy?" She heard shuffling papers and the sound of cloth moving. Had he been sleeping or something?

"No, of course not." She shook her head,he so had been doing something.

"Are you adapting alright?" His question caught her off guard. She hadn't expected such of him, he wasn't the sort to really show care out right like that.

"Yes, well, I guess so. It's not too hard." She heard more paper rustling.

"Your speech sounds better." She smiled then before taking a drink of her apple juice before she jumped, hearing the man from next door yelling about sitting on a rob or rod. He sat on a Rob?

"You should hear this, some weird guy next door yelling about sitting on weird stuff." The line was silent and she started to laugh.

"I thought he said Rob but I dont know . . ." She heard Yazoo sigh and knew he found it humorous too. There was more yelling and something heavy hitting the floor. Had he fallen?

"Maybe he is drunk." She blinked, had he heard the thunk through the phone?

"I think he fell, hope he is alright. . ." She stopped herself form picking up a fruit chunk when she realized what she had said.

"Do you now?" She opened her mouth but closed it before answering.

"Guess I am adapting more then my speech." He sighed again, he agreed but wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. She ate a piece of fruit.

"I'm not sure if I'm allowed to discuss . . . .New Banora over the phone but. . ." There was a silence again,

"Can anyone hear you?" She shook her head again,

"No, Vincent is gone for work. He won't be back until this evening according to his note." There was a clicking sound on the other end, a gun or was he fixing a clock?

"I got a letter from . . G, telling me about south wise danger. It also said that she was ok. Do you know anything?" The clicking stopped and she could hear what ever it was being placed on a hard surface.

"Yes, she goes by the name Ruzal now. She is in New Banora." Ruzal, it was pretty. She smiled really widely, feeling giddy with the phone to her ear, naked and a towel atop her head. Two things she'd learned from him. Using phones and how to wrap long hair in a towel.

"Have you met her?"

"Yes, she was on her way to you. She almost intercepted you on your way to Midgar." Her mouth hung open.

"Are you serious?" Her voice rang high and loud, she hadn't meant to be that loud. In fact, the noise from next door had stopped. There was a small single chuckle from the other end.

"She tore up half my apartment in anger of not seeing you." Twila sucked in air.

"Are you alright?" She had always been stronger, her strength physically was amazing. Her temper was Twila's exact opposite. Hers came in flashes, quick and hot.

"My apartment was trashed, but I am well." She grinned, his apartment probably was worth more to him.

"Did you get a hold of G to get her?" The line was silent and she heard crying in the background. A man was talking and she heard Yazoo's voice but it was faint, he'd pulled the phone away from his face. He was telling a man to be quiet that he'd get to talk when he was finished. Her face paled more then naturally, it was Loz . . .she didn't want to talk to him at all . . .

"Yes, he came and retrieved her. Though, he had to pull her off of Loz to get her to leave. . ." She gasped, oh no, did G- no, Ruzal like Loz?

"She. . .likes him? He is such a baby!" There was chuckling on the other side, her face grew hot.

"She said the same, his face was a lot uglier when they finally left." She grinned then. That was more like it.

"Ah, so she kicked his ass? I don't feel so bad now." There was a weird static like noise and thumping. She heard Yazoo telling Loz to back off and there was more weird intercepting sounds. Were they fighting over the phone? She started to laugh and gripped the phone with her shoulder as she shook her hair out and free of the towel and left it in a damp heap in the middle of the floor. She was creating a growing mess of the apartment.

"Tell Loz I'll talk to him another time, I gotta get some food or something." Yazoo was breathing hard, like his mouth was pressed too close.

"Fine, call soon." She said bye once more and he hung up, she laughed again at the thought of them fighting over the phone. She reached for her juice and drank the rest of it. She left it on the coffee table before taking more fruit and popping them into her mouth and heading to the fridge for another can of juice.

She sat back down and looked at the paper with phone numbers her father had left her. Cloud . . .or .. .Yuffie? Maybe 7th Heaven for Tifa?

She dialed and put it to her ear. She heard it ring and ring and.. . ring . . .the suddenly a message to leave a voice mail occured and she heard the beep. She breathed really hard into it trying her best not to laugh.

"Ahnsssssuuuuurrrr . .. ."Heavy breathing." yoooooor . . . ."more heavy breathing. She was about to finish when the beep signalling the end came and then she started to laugh. She was betting he wouldn't know who it was. It was so like Cloud not to answer his phone, but then again she had only known him for three or so weeks, maybe he was busy with deliveries.

She called 7th Heaven next and Marlene answered.

"It's Twila." The line was silent.

"You've only been gone a night .. . whats wrong?" She let her mouth hang open. So what if it was only a night?

"Well fine, I'll wait a month and then call." She grinned as she heard Marlene try to say wait as she hung up on her. Teach them. Well Marlene at least.

She laughed at how absurd she was acting as she pushed the plate of half gone fruit wedges to her side before laying on her back. She munched on another piece before dialing Yuffie's number. It was answered on the first ring much to her surprise.

"Yessss? Who is calling the great me?" Twila tried not to laugh.

"Yuffie Jr." Yuffie started to laugh,

"Well hiya! They wouldn't tell me where he went, and everytime I call his phone he won't answer! Old Grandpa fart that he is. . . oooh!" Twila chuckled.

"Maybe he likes you then." They started to laugh at the thought.

"So watcha callin for? Miss me already? Sooooo knew it!" Twila shook her head with a grin.

"I'm here alone, its some apartment in Kalm."

"He left you by yourself! I knew it again, I should have come! I'm also the best babysitter evar!" She bit into another fruit chunk, noise started back up next door.

"There is some weird guy next door, I think he is . . .drunk. . .." She wasn't sure what that meant entirely. She figured it was more then the word implied and assumed she would know what that meant. She started to laugh on the other end.

"Oh boy, thats Kalm Town for you. Hey, how _did _you get my number?" Twila took a swig of juice,

"He left it with a bunch of other numbers." She heard a series of aw's and golly's.

"Tried Cloud already? He never answers, he does call back sometimes though." She laughed,

"I sent him a . . .very interesting voicemail." Yuffie laughed,

"Thats my girl! I'll have to teach you all the good phone pranks for sure." They talked a while longer, she hadn't realized how late it was getting. The sun was setting and she reached for her last piece of fruit and bit off half of it. Yuffie was telling her about a time she stole some papers from 'Vinnie' and had replaced them with 'love letters' and how he hadn't known the difference until she'd come clean.

The door opened just as she had placed the last half of fruit in her mouth, she started to choke from alarm and sat up. Yuffie could be heard telling her to raise her arms up as she finally got it down. She looked up at her tall dark father, he was carrying sacks and looking around his trashed apartment. He gave her a look to ask if she was alright until he saw she wasn't wearing anything.

"Yuffie, Vincent is back. Call you tomorrow probably." She laughed and told her bye before Twila got up and put the phone back on the reciever. Vincent made his way into the small kitchen corner before setting the bags on the island. He picked up the can of juice on the counter and threw it in the trash can. He shook his head at his still naked daughter.

"It was too clean . . .I felt uncomfortable . .." He raised his eyebrows,

"Its white and too clean . . . " He let out a sigh before nodding.

"Perhaps we can add a few things to make it not seem so . . ." He waved his hand for the right word. She nodded before grabbing the gray shirt.

"I was bored too. . ." She saw a corner of his mouth curl up and knew he wasn't angry with her. Who could be angry with such a cute girl?

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><p><strong>3 guesses to whom the neighbor is LOL<strong>

**MalikaiDragonSlayer: **I'm so glad for your reviews, makes me happy : D. I'm glad you mentioned Vincent's nervousness, this might also be what the other reviewer meant about him being a lil bit ooc, he isn't really familiar with her or raising her so . . . reaction occurs : ). I think Cloud is really a young child in the handosme adult body . so he . . . prolly understands her on a . . small child's level XD


	6. Reno, Lady's Man

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 6: Reno, Ladies Man**

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><p><em>I officially hated water travel, I'd never felt so awful in . . . .well . .a long time. My head felt ready to fly off my shoulders, like my brain was turning in on itself and that my stomach was turning into acid. I'd thrown up all the contents of the previous day and more, fish had been following us for miles. The old man kept telling me it was motion sickness and that as soon as I got off the boat I'd be fine after some rest. I wasn't so sure I could believe him, though I said nothing to him just as I was told.<em>

_Finally at the dock I shot off, wearing the blanket and little socks that the boatmans wife had forced on me. I was at Moka Town, nothing special. There was a few houses and a school house. I was through it quickly and set up a little camp at the edge of some forest to rest my aching head. Once darkness hit I was back up and checking out my map on how to get to Costa Del Sol. It was apparently a rather large city. Great, something else I wasn't familiar with. . ._

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><p>It was the early morning and a pouty little girl sat on the black couch in the tiny pale living room.<p>

"Are you going to be gone all day again?" He nodded, he was already putting Cerberus up ready to leave. At least she had more food and juice. That didn't make her pout go away however.

"The entire day?" Vincent gave her an exasperated look, he apparently wasn't too fond of her whiney tone.

"Yes, Twila, all day long. That includes the _entire _day." She tried not to smile at how he reacted, had he been getting enough sleep? He went to the door.

"Can I go outside today then?" He winced and looked to her,

"I'd rather you didn't leave the apartment while I'm not here." She huffed.

"I'll stay in the building. Promise." He put his gloved hand to the bridge of his nose.

"Twila . . .I don't feel comfortable with you-"

"Pleeeeeeeease?" He gave her a mean look at her increasingly whiney voice but it melted away at the sight of her large eyes and her dramatic pout. Was this the puppy dog look? He sighed,

"Alright, but do not leave the building and stay out of trouble." She smiled and nodded. He left a card key on the coffee table.

"I have an extra, lock the door when you leave and when you return. Clear?" She saluted him.

"Yes sir." He shook his head and a more gentle look graced his hard red eyes, he tried to remember being her age. He couldn't really get that far back but sympathized and realized being cooped up probably wasn't all that wonderful for a small child much less a could be/would be 16 year old. He returned to the door and opened it, he turned around once more and nodded to her, she was going to the kitchen, he left.

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><p>I had come to realize one very important thing. I hated being alone. It was way too quiet, too still. I needed something to take my mind off the fact that I was here again by myself. The only thing i could think of was calling people but the sun wasn't even up yet. Food was the next best thing, and luckily I had a lot more choice then fruit this time. Vincent had pre-made me a few sandwiches, they were wrapped up and placed in the refridgerator. I found veggies and more fruit, he had told me he would pick up more juice on the way back today.<p>

I was about to grab one of the plastic wrapped sandwhiches when i noticed something much different then veggies and fruit. I saw me some cookies.

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><p>Twila took out the plastic box of cookies and went to the couch before climbing up on it and prying it open. It was the loudest thing ever in the still and silent apartment and she held her breath although there wasn't anyone around to hear it. She let it out and grabbed a cold cookie before chowing down and grabbing another. She faintly wondered if she would get in trouble if she ate the whole thing. Her train of thought was interrupted by a familiar thumping sound next door and she inwardly sighed. It comforted her more then necessary to hear life on the other side. She tried not to laugh at the sound of something hard hitting something else that made a scraping sound as if moved followed by a loud curse word. Clearly a man's voice.<p>

She had downed at least three cookies before going to the kitchen and looking around. It was hard to see much with how short she was and then remembered she had a chair to make her taller. With a sloppy look she pushed the chair to the counter before climbing up to stand on it. She looked on the spotless countertops before her red eyes grew bugged. . .a coffee maker.

With a grin she jumped off the chair and scooted it across the kitchenette towards the coffee maker were she promptly climbed up and checked it out. She frowned. How does one make coffee? She looked to the phone across the apartment. She could call Vincent and ask.

Or she could call Yuffie.

Or better yet . . .

"Cloud." She hopped off the chair and made her way into the living room and snatching up the phone. She dialed Cloud's number and dialed already remembering his number. She then remembered that he didn't answer, it was on the fourth ring and she was about to hang up with she heard the click of an open line.

"Yes?" She almost snorted, his tone was a little grouchy.

"I thought you answered with a "Strife's Delivery Service." She heard him let out a breath and tried not to laugh.

"So it was you, I thought so."

"Vincent left me alone so I became bored. It's very dull here." She heard a chuckle.

"Yeah, you are calling me before the sun is up, I think it's registering." She smiled before she remembered what she needed.

"I need you to direct me in creating coffee. There is an apparatus here that does so. If there was a manual lieing about I could just-"

"Whoa whoa. You called because you wanted to make coffee? Where is Vincent?" She sighed.

"Gone, he is out doing his job." She could hear his boots on the wooden floor on the other line, she wondered if he was at 7th Heaven. She expected a scolding or an argument but didn't recieve one.

"You are going to need a filter. Do you have coffee grains too?" She blinked while searching her brain.

"Filter and . . .coffee grains?" He sighed.

"The filter is cloth like, coffee is actually a black bean, they are ground up into grains. It should be in a tub or can." She made a clucking sound before gripping the phone against her head and shoulder.

"Let me look." He 'mhm'ed her as she ran into the kitchenette and climbed back onto the chair. She looked on the counter top searching for cloth like items and cans. She found no such things. She then realized the cabinets were there and opened them to continue her search.

"The filters are triangular in shape?" He laughed.

"Yeah, they can be." She smiled as she pulled one out of its plastic jail. She saw a dark green canister and pulled it out before prying open its lid.

"Oh yes, this has to be those grains. It smells so delicious." She heard more chuckling from Cloud.

"Alright, open the coffee machine up from the top and place the filter in the encaved part and put two scoops of coffee into the filter. " She did that,

"Alright, is it ready now?" She was eager for her coffee for sure.

"Yeah, just push the bu- Oh shoot! No, we forgot the water." She made a face.

"You forgot the water." She heard him chuckling again. Had he always been so light?

"You gotta take the pot and fill it up and then pour it into the hollow part." She made another face.

"The filter place?"

"No, there should be another hole like area. Look towards the back of it." She used her fingers before finding it.

"Found it." She took the pot out and slid it across the counter top where the raised edge of the sink stopped it from falling.

"Call you later, thanks for the decent directions." She heard a small clattering on his end.

"Be good, I'll see you soon." She smiled at his gentle tone as she hung up. It was almost as if he were comforting her. For what? Being alone maybe? She smiled again as she got off the chair and began to scoot it towards the sink.

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><p>The sun was up now and Twila sat on the couch with a mug of coffee. She sipped at its hot contents as she relaxed. She had an entire day to do absolutely nothing. She leaned forward to place her mug on the coffee table. She saw the key card and lit up, she could leave the apartment. She nodded in satisfaction. That was decent.<p>

Getting up and making her way to the room she saw her bag at the end of the bed and began to dig through it. Pulling out a magenta baby doll dress with matching bloomer shorts she went to the bathroom grabbing the brush that rested on the closed lid of the toilet seat. After detangling her long black hair she nodded and set it back before heading back into the living room. Taking another swig from her coffee cup she grabbed the car key and walked to the door. She looked up at the slot and reached but spilt a little of her coffee. She sighed at the hotness of it and set it on the floor. Leaning back up and reaching the slot, the door slid open. She grabbed her mug with both hands and rushed over the threshold. She set her coffee back on the floor of the other side as the swoosh of the door could be heard. She put the key card around her neck and picked her coffee back up.

The hallway looked like the apartment except the floor was a dark wood and there were benches along the walls. There was another hallway to her left and a door to her right, probably storage or something. She squinted down the dark left corridor, the lights weren't working maybe. She could detect a window at the very end, the sun was still coming around but enough faint morning light could be seen through the other buildings. She sighed and walked ahead of her, there were pictures on the white walls. Some were photos of lanscapes and flowers, others were paintings of people and stills. She got to the end of that one and saw that there were hallways to either directions, left and right. This place was huge. She sighed and turned back, sipping her coffee along the way. She saw a man in a suit come out of a door with a suitcase, walking right past her as if she didn't exist. She watched him go all the way to the end before she saw that there was one door that was a little different then the others. He pressed a button on the wall and the metallic doors chimed open. He stepped into it and the doors closed. She shook her head and kept going.

Her cup was almost at the hallway point when she came to the last bench in her hallway, it was about 30 feet from her door. It was one of the several with a table . . .the table was too tall for her to set her cup up there. She pouted at it before she almost jumped at the sound of something hitting a door from the inside. The door right next to her own. She went rigid as the door slid open and waited for the noisy culprit, her neighbor.

Her ruby eyes couldn't believe the man that came out.

His hair was an unruly mane of flaming red, one of the most beautiful colors she'd ever seen. It reminded her of Ruzal, whose hair was also a flaming red. She could see that his had lighter highlights of other colors however, the only difference she thought. He wore a dirty white dress shirt that hung losely over a pair of black slacks that dragged at the ends, he too was barefoot. There in one hand was a familiar type of mug, he also was drinking coffee. He brought the pale gray mug to his mouth, which she saw that one corner was an unsightly purple and slightly swollen. He hissed as the warmth toughed his lips but drank it none the less. It would appear that he hadn't noticed Twila yet. Her eyes caught the one thing about his appearance that she couldn't let go. A pair of goggles rested at his forehead. She stared alright.

Shifting on her tiny feet, the magenta dress cringled a little at the waist. Her movement caught the ' attention. She caught his eyes, though one was having a little trouble opening, it was bruised and the eybrow above it seemed to have a cut there. She could see that he also had Mako eyes. One of her own. She took a sip of her mug and watched him. He looked to her hand before looking back at his own coffee. He let a small grin settle on his bruised face before using his free hand to rub at an eye. He looked back to her before taking a few steps forward. This set her at an uneased position, like she might run. He set his hand out in front of him as if to calm an animal. Those goggles . . .

"Easy. . .easy. Where's ya ma at?" He had a faint accent, the children in the slums she'd passed had a similar one. She stared at his face before slowly bringing her coffee up to her face. He had a faint impression of impatience.

"Then ya pa? Surely he's hangin' around?" She didn't take her eyes off him. There was something about him, something heavy. Like he carried a huge burden. He nodded and rolled his eyes, she could see a faint trace of hurt but it wasn't there long.

"I see, don' talk ta strangers. Thas good, real good." Even though he was praising her his voice seemed dark, like he was hurt more then just a little. Somwhere that lay beyond his beat up face. It seemed odd for a man like him, she couldn't place it . Even though she hadn't met this man before she knew somehow that this wasn't normal for him.

"He is working." Those simple words lit his eyes up, the green over taking the blue for a moment. He nodded carefully before taking a big drink of his coffee.

"Makes sense." He slowly walked to the bench, she moved out of his way as he sat his coffee on that table. She scowled. She hadn't meant to of course, but the man saw it and to her surprise he laughed.

"Holy shit, you looked really familiar for a second there, Doll." He leaned forward,

"Ya need help?" She swallowed and looked at his opened hand. She looked at the table and then to her hot cup. She gave him the mug as she climbed up on the bench next to him, giving them about half a foot of distance. He handed her the mug and she set it on the bench in between them.

"You always runnin' around?" She looked up at him, he was staring at the painting on the other wall. She noticed his fair skin had lots of tiny scars. Those goggles . . . She sighed, she wanted to touch those things so bad. They seemed to keep his bangs from his face.

"It's the first day I've been allowed outside the apartment." He made a thinking face.

"Ya been here long?" She shook her head.

"No, only a couple of days." She pointed to her door, he nodded.

"Ah, borin' aint it?" He chuckled, he was right though. Boring. He looked down at her,

"I'm Reno by the way." She looked up at him, so civil to a girl who looked six years of age.

"I'm . . .Twila." It still felt weird to say her name. She looked up at him as he adjusted so that his back was facing more towards the table. She noted that his features seemed a lot lighter then before, she wasn't sure how though. Surely had nothing to do with . . .goggles.

"Are ya stayin' long? " She sighed and looked to her bare feet.

"Maybe yall are here for those fireworks?" Fireworks? She looked up at him again, him, not his goggles,

"Fireworks?" He mhm'd and took a drink of his coffee.

"Yeah, in a few days. Celebrating Kalm's whatever anniversary of 'Rebirth'." He used his free hand to make the quotations, his voice couldn't have been anymore sarcastic. She saw a cigarette pack sticking out of his pants pocket.

"Perhaps, I will have to ask." She looked away to think but he shifted again.

" Swear ya look familiar. Do ya look like ya ma or somethin'?" She looked up at him again. She shook her head. Pretty sure she didn't look like a tube.

"I require similar features to my father." He nodded before that thoughtful look crossed his features.

"Hm, can't seem to place it. Shoot." He shrugged it off before taking a drink of his coffee. She almost smiled as she noticed how ruggishly handsome he was. It was rather random but she couldn't help it. So boyish. Those goggles helped too of course.

She swung her legs off the side before pausing so she could take a drink of coffee. She resumed as soon as she set it back down. She could see him smiling at her through the corner of her eyes.

"Ya got any siblings, sweet cheeks?" She almost rolled her eyes at the pet names, but refrained.

"One." He let out one single 'ha' at her one word answer. She sighed.

"A sister." He nodded, smiling behind his cup.

"She here too?" She looked up at him and squinted.

"No, Banora." He almost spilt his coffee.

"Why all the way there? Did your folks split up or somethin'?" She was startled at how concerned he seemed. Why did he care? Some strange girl in the hallway and he was all over her case about parents and strangers.

"We have . . . " She looked for the right words," different fathers." He immediately cooled down and nodded.

"Ah, that makes sense." She cracked a tiny smile at him, he beamed back. When he smiled the goggles moved up just a little. He set his coffee back on the table and she watched as he used one hand to move his bangs back and the other to pull off the goggles. He dangled them in front of her, her eyes went wide. She gentley took them in her own two little hands and stared at them.

"Ya want em? I got another pair." She looked up at him, her face completely in shock.

"You mean it?" She looked back down at the things, they were just as rugged as he was. Grime and soot all over them, they were nicked and scratched and scraped. He laughed.

"Ya, course doll." He grinned at her, she held them up to her face and looked out the tinted glass. She grinned.

"Wow. . ." He chuckled, those goggles had seen a lot in the day, bet they never would have thought they would end up in the hands of a little girl. She saw his reflection in the glass of the eyes of the goggles, saw his boyish grin. She saw when his face fell and he gave a hateful scornful look to someplace behind her. She looked back and saw a tall and tan man. Bald with a pair of shades. He wore a suit, his face was very stoic. She clutched the goggles to her, she didn't think she would like this man. He nodded to Reno.

"Lil early in the day, doncha think Rude?" His voice was stiff, as if he didn't want to see the made. She remembered the noise from yesterday, Rude, that made sense. She could Reno's jaw clenching and hoped he didn't break his teeth.

"I'm early. Figured you'd still be sleeping." A vein appeared under a small strand of red bang.

"Guess not." Reno rolled his eyes,

"Yeah, can't you see I'm busy? Me an' my date are havin' enough fun with out you here." She loved his humor, didn't mind being his 'girlfriend' at all. This guy was clearly not someone to trust though, something was wrong. She put the goggles on her head and pulled them over her face to rest around her neck. She saw the strange look in Reno's eyes. He'd watched her fondly but there was also a hard look there, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to be the same person as he had just been; But something much different. She heard 'Rude' snort.

"Real cute Reno." He walked closer, she hated the sound his shoes made on the wood floor. He sat on the bench across from them, she could see his eyes through the purple lens of his sunglasses. They came to rest on her and she felt her skin crawl. She turned back to Reno when he leaned back against their bench.

"Well Doll, gonna have to cut this short." He gave a small frown before standing up and throwing his arms up to stretch. He looked sore and she wondered if his face was the only bruised place. It amde her wonder who beat him and why. She looked to Rude and then wondered if he'd done it. Reno took his cup from the table and Rude stood up,

"I'll see ya 'round. Take care Doll." He waved before stumbling over to his door, Rude in suit. She sighed, that was probably the most action she'd get for the day.

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><p>Vincent came home just as the sun was setting. He was a little nervous to see the new state of the apartment and if his daughter got into trouble while he was away. He was more then surprised to see her napping on the couch, the apartment even more surprisingly, set his bag down on the coffee table and leaned over to pick her tiny form up. He took her to the bedroom and layed her down and was pulling the covers over her when he saw the strangest thing around her neck. A pair of old goggles. . .where had she gotten those?<p> 


	7. Give Way

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 7: Give Way**

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><p><em>Life in the city was a sure and awful thing at that. From the view of the Slums it was basically a sort of Hell. The walking dead seemed to roam these areas, the shadows inbetween the buildings, abandoned fortresses of doom. Rugged people fighting and even killing over food, abandoned children and crazed adults. The sick spread their diseases here, who layed by the over filled waste bins to die.<em>

_I survived here._

_Here in this Hell I was practically a Queen, too fast for the pitiful creatures to see, too cunning for them to catch. This was my Kingdom. I owned Hell._

_I was out of my old rags and into new ones. Ones that were filthy enough to make me blend in. Though the weather here was predictable, to a T that it would be very warm, which also made it difficult to wear many things at once for concealment. I found that it was harder to stay cool then it was to stay warm. _

_It was a man that I was waiting on, that was about the only thing I knew. The only thing that really kept me here I suppose. I'd waited for him where I had supposed to, he never showed up. I wasn't sure exactly what he looked like, just that he was my sort . . . Cept that I'd been here long enough for a season to pass by._

_Currently I was hanging by a particularly nasty trash bin, my next meal was coming for me._

_A man with his little broken cart wheeled by, like a flashing shadow I ran past grabbing a sack of food the poor man had probably fought over. Stolen goods. I didn't look back as I clutched the life giving substances to my chest. There was a major plus to being my size. It was easier to get around. Not only was I much stronger and faster then most of the vermin like creatures that lived here, I was less noticeable. No one expected a child of rags to steal the things I had to in order to survive._

_I turned the corner and looked around to be sure that no one was around to see me. None that I could detect. I sat down and opened the sack, crackers and meat stuff. This wouldn't get me far but at least it was something._

_I was about ready to eat it when a shadow darker then the light one that covered me . . .covered that. I slowly looked up, was I caught?_

_There stood a very tall man, large at the shoulders and dressed mostly in riding leathers. He had weapons on him . . . ones that I could tell very well had been used recently. He looked like a bounty hunter. With my luck he was from the Nest._

_I stood up ready to bolt, was he after me? I took a peek at his face and I stopped myself from dissappearing. It wasn't the grinning triumphic look that stopped me._

_He had a full head of eyes were bright mako filled orbs._

_"Hey little sister. Been looking for you." He crouched down to get at my eye level a little better. Still too large._

_"I'm Loz. . .Sorry about this," He looked like he was going to cry for a moment," I totally forgot I was supposed to get you . . ." He waved his hand,"Well you know." He stood back up teary eyed. I'm sure if he could see my face he'd see that my mouth was wide open. A big teary eyed oaf was the man that was supposed to take me in? Was one of my own? He nodded and began to walk, I followed him having to nearly jog to keep up with his stride. He wove through the alley ways and surprisingly we came in contact with no one. His senses were better then mine, had to have been to find me in the first place. Though he had a lot more time to adjust then I had._

_We got to a section of buildings that were just outside the slums of Costa Del Sol, not a beach front view sort of area but not exactly a bust-into- your-home place either._

_He walked up to one of the stoops and took out a tiny ring of keys, taking one he unlocked the door. From there it was a hallway, several doors and a staircase. We took the stair case up several floors before he strode off into a hallway and heading to a door. There was a rugged old cardboard box next to it and he opened it . . .to grab mail . . ._

_He unlocked his door and held it open for me, inside was a rather messy apartment._

_"I'm Loz by the way, make yourself at home little sister." _

* * *

><p>Twila was home by herself again, it was nearly noon. She hung outside the apartment all morning hoping to see Reno but never did. There wasn't any noise from his apartment and she wondered if he was still there. She had the feeling she wouldn't be seeing him again and was surprised that it made her sad.<p>

So she hung out on the couch then wishing she had something to do. She'd made sure to clean up the apartment yesterday before falling asleep. She came to the compromisation that the place could be untidy during the day while she was there and before Vincent came home she would clean up for him.

She sighed and tapped her fingers on the seat next to her. Maybe she could call someone. She thought about Tifa and wanted to call her and say hi and check on her but remembered that she wasn't going to call there. She wondered if Tifa would worry about her, and then she wondered if making her worry was the mature thing to do. She didn't think it was but at the moment it was the best way to get back at Marlene, and in a sense, Min and Yuki.

She hadn't called Yazoo since the first day there, that was a good place to start.

Grabbing the phone she dialed and waited as the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang some more.

It wasn't till about the 8th ring did someone pick up.

"Hullo?" Who was that?

"U-uhm-"

"Who is this?" Her face started to heat up. Did Yazoo have a girlfriend? Instant anger bubbled up in her chest. Who was she?

"Is Yazoo there?" She tried to make her voice sound more mature, she didn't even pause to wonder if it worked. The girl sighed roughly,

"Sheesh. Yazzzzy! There is a baby on line one for youuuuuu!" A baby? What kind of pet name was 'Yazy'? She gripped the phone tighter as she heard a series of giggles and soft cooing sounds.

"Twila?" She sucked her breath,

"Who is that! Do you just have random women in your home now?What kind of person are you turning into?" Her voice had risen to a level that had she any neighbors, they'd have heard, her voice also taking up a few notches. She hadn't meant to explode on him, she wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment. A sigh happened on the other side,

"Calm down It was Ruzal. You couldn't tell?" Her face went white and the phone nearly slipped from her grip.

"Ru-Ruzal?"

"Mhm." Her breathing grew thick. That snobby bitch on the other line had been her sister? She swallowed thickly.

"Oh." It was quiet on both ends for a few minutes.

"Is everything alright?" Had he meant in general or for the recent?

"I was just bored I guess. Nothing to do." She heard him 'hm' and she could tell he was about to say something but she purposely cut him off.

"Why is she there? G is there with her too, right?" She switched her weight to the other foot as she heard him chuckle.

"You are jealous." She opened her mouth.

"What?" More chuckling.

"Mmm, Perhaps you would like to talk with your Sister? To get things straightened out?" Her face heated up again.

"What are you talking about?" She heard loud stomping on the other side a whine that had clearly come from a woman, probably Ruzal.

"Oh you know . . .since I'm yours and all . . . You don't want her to encroach upon your territory." He started laughing a little, was he teasing? Regardless her face was bright red. She had an idea then,

"Does she know who I am? I mean, phone wise?" She heard shuffling,

"I don't think so." She grinned.

"Alright, I'll tell her." She heard his end go silent, he hadn't expected that. She heard mumbling and the echanging of the phone.

"Hi baby." She could hear the smirk in those words.

"Yazoo is mine. He wanted me to make sure you knew." She kept her tone monotonous. She could feel the ominous air.

"Excuse me?" She tried to hold back her laughter at the icey tone. Clearly Ruzal didn't like that.

"You heard me." She made her voice gruff.

"And so you know, I'm not some baby. I'm a full grown teen boy." She was ready to burst at the sounds coming from the other end. She could hear her screaming at Yazoo. Then she heard a higher pitched 'Daddy!' and she wondered if that was G. There was suddenly a horrible sound, it was loud and painful. A few minutes went by of things crashing and breaking and she got a second hand taste of her temper.

"Satisfied?" She started laughing, Yazoo sounded pissed.

"A little bit. Teach you to make fun of me." She was surprised to hear him chuckling again. He really was growing more in the emotional spectrum. It made her happy to know.

"I'm having to hold together the phone, I'll have to buy a new one." She pouted.

"Oh poor Yazzy, might actually have to leave his home." She could see him cringing from the pet name.

"So G _is _there?" She heard the sound of something loud ripping. Tape?

"Yes. Trying to calm down Ruzal." She laughed.

"Now tell her its me and she'll be ok. I remember her temper, but the rest is really new. You guys must have really just spoiled her. She sounds completely ruined as a moral person." He sighed.

"She is." She nodded even though he couldn't see her. She really did miss him.

"Wished I could visit. . ." She heard his steady breath on the other end.

"Perhaps soon. You may end up seeing us sooner." What had that meant? She heard shifting noises,

"G wants to talk to you." She blushed, somehow feeling she was in trouble.

"Twila?" She'd forgotten his voice, the accent and its some how gentle rich tone.

"Sorry about Ruzal." She laughed a tiny bit, she could hear the humor in his voice.

"She has a bit of a temper. She gets that from me sadly." He had a bit of an etra lilt to that, she could identify it as pride.

"How are you fairing with your Father?" She wanted to tell him everything was amazing, and at the same time she wanted to tell him awful and to come get her. However neither was true.

"It's got its ups and downs. A lot of things I'm not used to."

"Hm, I suppose it would be rather difficult to adjust. If you feel that you would rather stay with Ruzal and myself all you need is to say the words." Her heart leaped, that had been what she'd wanted to hear and yet . ..it wasn't.

"It's just that he is gone so much. I should be alright I mean . . .with the conditions I was in before..." She could hear a single chime on the other side.

"It's your Father, there is a connection there. I understand well. Ruzal would understand you as well." She blushed at the mention of Ruzal. She faintly wondered if this newer, spoiled Ruzal would be angry at her for the prank. She gave a few nervous laughs.

"Think she'll be angry with me for joking around?" She heard him laugh on the other end.

"Yazoo requested that I not tell her till after you have hung up. This phone is near death as is." She laughed,

"Whoops." She could hear faint talking in the background, Ruzal's voice (which was rather on the whiney side) and what she thought was Yazoo's mumbling.

"I'll probably get off to make some lunch. I'm glad I got to talk with you." She heard papers shuffling and clanking noises. Yazoo trying to clean up?

"Likewise Twila. Call soon, and don't worry about about saftey. You are well covered." She was thankful and a bit sad when the line ended. She decided she wasn't really hungry after all and went to lay down for a nap.

* * *

><p>Pacing was the new game of the evening. Almost midnight and Vincent still hadn't come back. She went from the door to the window in the living room and then back to the door. He was always home by no later then 10:00 pm and she was getting worried. She knew that she shouldn't be, he was a big . . .<em>big <em>grown man who could handle himself. Come to 12:30 she would call someone, probably him first. Maybe it was paranoia and a little ridiculous but better safe then sorry. With a sigh she went to get some juice from the fridge before plopping down on the couch with a pout on her face. Her hand came up to touch the goggles still fastened around her throat.

She heard heavy footsteps coming down the hallway and rushed up with the keycard ready to chew him out. Once the door slid open her angry look washed away. It wasn't Vincent.

"Reno?"

The red haired man looked up, face bloody and his clothes ripped up. He was limping really badly and most of what she could see of his face was swollen. He was breathing out his mouth rather roughly.

"'ay Doll. .." He said it lightly with out looking at her, he was clearly embarrassed, his mouth was swollen again and it looked like it might have hurt him just to say those two words. She walked out of her apartment, the door slid closed. Once closer she smelled that familiar sickly sweet smell of alchohol, something one grew accustomed to when living in a bar. She placed her hands on her hips in a sassy manner.

"You were out drinking bad stuff weren't you?" She gave him a reprimanding look and it through him off guard. He raised his hands up like he'd done the day before.

"'ay, whoa whoa." She could tell he was grinning despite the fact he was going to be on the nagging road soon. She turned around and headed towards his apartment,

"Come on . . .you need some serious help young man." She turned around to see what was holding him up, the look on his face was priceless.

"Look, I know how to help with this sort of thing. You look really messed up." She remembered then that she talked like an adult most of the time, that 'real' adults weren't accustomed to tiny dainty tots talking like them. He chuckled and shook his head a little.

"Can sure count on my girlfriend,huh?" She grinned back with a nod, thoughts on her father long gone.

* * *

><p>It was almost 2:00 am as she sat at Reno's counter with a cup of coffee. He had a cup too, and she could honestly say he looked a ton of times better. She thought that perhaps things had only looked bad before but hadn't actually been as such. Unless he healed like she could. The tinier things like cuts and scraps were usually gone quickly. In fact the nick that had been above his brow the day before was gone. She realized that she hadn't helped him as much as she thought she was going to. He'd mostly had her hold the rags and bandages while he did the cleaning and glueing.<p>

"Oh shit, look what time it is. Aint your pops gonna be worried?" He scratched the back of his head as the worried look dressed his face. She shrugged.

"He isn't there." It was true too, she'd have heard the door sliding open. This brought color to Reno's cheeks.

"Whats that mean?" She raised her eye brows and took a sip of her coffee.

"Uh . . he isn't there? The apartments empty?" She looked around, his apartment was the same layout as hers but instead of things being black and white his place was much more custom. He'd been living here a while. All his furniture (a couch, recliner, and intables) was black leather and dark marble. The counter tops in his kitchen was the same marble. His floors were black tile and the windows were all tinted. She thought this must be the definition of a 'man cave'. His bedroom had freaked her out, (she'd gone through there to get to the bathroom) the walls were the same dark silver the rest of the place was but the floors were a thick plushy red carpet. His bedding was mostly black except for the pillows which were assorted reds and grays (he sure had a lot of those pillows too) and a purple pelt that layed across it. He had a large mirror on the wall facing towards his bed, it weirded her out to the max she realized. She thought mostly because it was at a slight angle so that vision of the bed was accessable while being in the bed. Who watched themselves sleep? She also noticed that although his place was clearly lived in it was void of something. She wasn't sure what though.

"Where is he? I swear . .. if ya tell me you don' know . . " She shrugged at his heated words.

"He is working. He normally isn't gone this long but I'm sure everything is alright." She took another sip of her black coffee, he could see the lonely look in her eyes. He had it too.

"Psh, who works all the time when they got a pretty lil thing like you at home waitin' on 'em?"

She smiled sweetly at him. How could a sweet man like him live here alone . . .she looked around and noticed what was missing.

"You don't have any pictures anywhere?" She looked at him and saw that horrible cold lonely look come back. She leaned forward, a motion that Tifa had made many times to show she was listening.

"Why not?" It was innocent enough, but the shame that came into Reno's eyes made her lean back.

"No one to have pictures of I guess." He tried to smile, to hide his real emotions from her but he couldn't seem to. She nodded, knowing exactly what she could do for him. She gave him a wide smile. He gave her a questioning look and she only smiled wider and looked away.

"Aint you tired Doll?" She shrugged.

"I'll stay up with you for a while, I'm sure it gets real scary here all by yourself." She heard him snort.

"And suddenly I'm the lil kid." He laughed with her and they talked more. At about 3 she decided to call it quits and go to her own apartment after she 'tucked' him all in. Which was actually him walking her the three steps to her door.

"If ya need anything lemme know, k?" She nodded and waved, they told each other good night and she locked the door. She went to the kitchen and turned on the light and then went to the bedroom where she left the door as wide open as she could. She'd call Vincent when she woke up if he wasn't already home by then.

* * *

><p>Despite going to bed at such a late hour she woke up at 7:00 am on the spot. She took a bath and put on Cloud's gray shirt, or aka her comfort wear. Her hair was in a towel again as she walked into the kitchen, light still on. That was proof enough that Vincent wasn't back. She gave a watery pout and raced to the phone. She wasn't scared or anything, just a little worried was all. . .<p>

She quickly dialed his number, she sucked in a big breath as she heard,

"_The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. . ."_

Was he hurt? So many things could be wrong and she didn't even know what his job was. She started to pace again, her stomach upset. She went back to the phone and dialed Cloud's number.

"Morning."

"Have you heard anything from Vincent?" She waited for him to tell her everything was alright and that he was just out of range from the apartments phone.

"Ah, no. . . should I have?" She bit her lip.

"Everything is under control. I'll call you soon." She hung up before he could reply. Would Yuffie know? She quickly dialed Yuffie's cell and waited.

"Do you know what time it is?" She shook her head at the tone,

"Have you heard anything from Vincent?" She barely caught her own voice, a little shakey and very rushed.

"Whoa, calm down Twila. Where is Vincent?" She rolled her eyes.

"Thats what I'd like to know. I haven't seen him since he left early yesterday morning. He is usually back here before 10 in the evening." She couldn't believe how she was reacting to this. What was wrong with her.

"Whats your address? I'll come to you and we will figure this out." She let out a breath.

"I don't know. . .hold on, I can ask my neighbor." She put the phone down and ran to the door and unlocked it with the keycard, her hair still up in a towel. She rang the doorbell and hoped that Reno was awake too or at least he wouldn't be too grouchy. She waited tapping her foot and biting her lip nervously until the door slid open. A sleepy looking Reno was there in tiny sleeping shorts and his hair messed up. To her relief he wasn't angry looking he was worried.

"Sorry its so early but can you tell me the address of this building?" He held her a questioning look before telling her, and boy did she have to de-code him. He tried to ask her if she was alright but she apologized again and ran back to her apartment which left him standing there in his underwear.

Once back on the phone she relayed to Yuffie and looking at her cardkey she found the number of her apartment.

"Alright, I want you to relax and calm down. I'll be there by lunch time tops, alright?" She nodded before remembering that she was on the phone.

"Alright. I'll be here." They hung up and she realized that noon was a really long ways off.


	8. I Dream, Upgrade

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Square Enix.**

**S-Project: Secret**

**Chapter 8: I Dream, Upgrade**

* * *

><p><em>Junon was possibly the nicest place I had visited yet, calm and enduring. It was mostly a beach made town and quite pleasant indeed. I waited on the docks before turning to look back out at the ocean, its deep blue calming my nerves. I wondered when the next time I'd been seeing it after I left Junon. I couldn't have been dazed for more than a few minutes when,<em>

_"Child." I cringed at the androgynous voice; it had a bit of a whine to it. I slowly turned around to see silver and black. Well, the man . . . I assumed was such, before me looked rather similar to Loz in the face but a bit more feminine, tinier built and long hair. He wore black riding leather pants that fit to his lean hips and legs that tucked into bike boots laced up impeccably. He wore a tidy dark blue shirt that was also tucked (into his belt it seemed) and a matching black leather vest hugged to his figure. He had two sets of weapons, what I could identify as gunblades and what appeared to materia._

_"Come along, I want to be home before dark." I blinked at his rather snooty tone as he curtly turned on his heel and rushed away leaving me to fend between the crowds of tourists that had only just gotten off the boat as I had._

* * *

><p>She'd been busy during the span of the morning and noon, she'd decided that in order to calm down she needed to make herself busy. She had found one of her photos with the sun glasses and cut poor Cloud out. She'd found the pen her father had used and on the back wrote,<p>

**To Reno with love from your best Girlfriend you ever had.**

**- Twila V.**

She put little hearts on it knowing he would think it was just the cutest thing ever, she didn't want to put it into a frame cause then there was the possibility he wouldn't see her note. She couldn't smile at the picture though; she wanted to, knowing that what she was doing was going to help him. Reno was a lonely man, one single picture wouldn't make that go away, she knew that, but one single picture would help. Hopefully it would inspire him to find people he could trust and get their pictures to fill his walls too. Who knew, maybe he'd have a family one day.

She jumped at the sound of the door sliding open.

"Wher- Oh." It wasn't her father after all, it was Yuffie. Yuffie stood at the door looking around, a strange glint in her eyes. Her face wasn't the cheerful Yuffie she'd been used to, it was somehow much different. She was stoic like and very cold.

"There isn't jack here . . ." Twila shook her head, nothing for her to steal. She set the picture on the coffee table face up. Yuffie turned to the small pale child, Twila, wearing a very large grey shirt that practically dragged the floor and her black mane a jumbled mess. She'd probably washed it but not combed it. She was going to make a comment on the rugged goggles but didn't after all.

"Alright squirt, no panicking ok? I got ahold of Vinnie on the way here. You are to pack your stuff 'cause we are heading out." Her mouth dropped.

"What? Is he alright?" Yuffie rolled her eyes and walked to the bedroom like she owned the place.

"Come on, we can't mess around." Twila heard things being thrown around, Yuffie meant business and she hadn't answered her question.

* * *

><p>We were leaving this place. I hadn't been here long but I'd somehow grown attached to it. Clutching my picture, or Reno's picture and a can of Banora Apple juice we walked out of the apartment. I stopped outside the sliding door though and walked to Reno's door before knocking.<p>

"Twila what are you doing, we don't have time." I ignored Yuffie as this was something I _had_ to do. He didn't answer though (much to my own disappointment) so i had her place it in his mailbox. I was glad she did so without looking at the note and making comments, I hadn't realized it was sort of embarrassing. We walked away and I couldn't help but look back, would I ever see Reno again? I'd then wished I'd gotten a picture of him too. Or maybe even his number.

Once outside the building (it had been a sightseeing trip for me, not to mention I got sick on the elevators) I realized we were going to be riding on another bike.

"Where are we going?" Yuffie didn't answer that either, just loaded my stuff and helped me on before speeding off. I wished I had gotten to tell Reno goodbye in person.

* * *

><p>It was night by the time they pulled up to 7th Heaven, Twila couldn't be less amused. Most of the lights on the top level were off however the bottom was fully going, it was a bar after all. Yuffie slung the two bags over her shoulders and helped Twila off the bike before they walked into the bar, Yuffie more so strutting then really walking.<p>

The Drunk and the Drinking looked to the newcomers; most the eyes were on Yuffie of course. Twila felt uneasy though, she'd walked in here many times during bar hours and had never felt this way. Could it be that she was uneasy because she hadn't seen Vincent or that he could be hurt? Or was it something else? And if so, then what?

"Oh Twila hunny, everything is ok." She caught the gentle eyes of Tifa and went to her,

"Where is Vincent?" Tifa's face flushed and she gave a rather tight look to Yuffie.

"You didn't tell her?" Yuffie shrugged.

"My mission was just to get her back here; I'm not good with mushy stuff. I don't want a crying child on my hands." Twila's face went stark white, her body felt numb. Was Vincent . . . dead? She balled her fists up,

"Somebody had better tell me what the hell is going on right this instant!" She stomped her foot, her voice had risen to a level that even over the music the people in the bar had heard. It went silent as everyone looked at her. Tifa's face was very red now, not out of embarrassment it would seem but it looked like she might cry.

"Twila, let's go back here to talk." Her voice was higher than normal and very quiet but Twila had heard her and followed her back to the living room, Marlene was at the bar.

Once in the living room where things were quiet Tifa kneeled down,

"Everything is alright, it's just that . . . well." She looked around.

"I just don't know how to explain things to a little girl . . . I mean-"

"Then stop thinking I'm a little girl." Tifa looked her straight into her wine colored eyes. With a nod,

"Your father works for the WRO, World Regenesis Organization-"

"Tifa, just get on with it, he has a gun, a gun he uses which means he fights. Is he hurt?" Tifa let out a breath, this child was unbelievable.

"Yes, but not very badly! Surely not as badly as Yuffie would have you believe." This made her feel so much better.

"And where is he?" Tifa nodded again,

"There at the headquarters. He usually stays there to get patched up. However Yuffie talked to him and he said he would be here by tomorrow." Twila scowled.

"Why? Why not just go back to the apartment?" Tifa's brows went up.

"Did you like it there? We thought that perhaps you'd like it here better since you were there by yourself so much." Twila shook her head, she felt grouchy.

"Can I go to bed?" Tifa's face grew that watery look.

"Of course sweety, Min and Yuki have a spare bed in-" She interrupted poor Tifa again.

"May I have Vincent's bed please?" Though she used kind words her tone was monotonous. She'd rather sleep in a trashcan then in the same room with those demons.

"Yes, of course. Are you hungry though? I could make you something to eat first?" Twila shook her head.

"I'd really just like to go to bed." She began to head to the stairs, not sure whom she missed more, her father or Reno.

She took her boots off and left them in front of the doorway after closing the door before climbing towards the bed and getting in. She didn't bother with the goggles, they were staying on. The bedding was clean so it didn't have his smell at all. She pulled the gray sleeves of her shirt up to her face, least this had more of a real warm scent then the fake scents of soap although Cloud's smell was mostly gone from it.

She wondered how her life had become like this, so dependent on others. She thought about Yazoo and Loz, her 'brothers', her family. She hadn't seen them in what seemed like forever. She sat up. She'd talked to Yazoo just yesterday, G too. She had even got to hear her sister's voice and boy had that been something. Her eyes were long since adjusted to the dark of the room and could clearly see the bedside phone. Without thinking about it she leaned over and grabbed it and punched in the number. She'd forgotten how late it was but she also hadn't called to tell him she'd left Kalm.

It rang twice before a woman's voice answered.

"Do you know what time it is? All natural people are sleeping at this hour? Hello?" Tears came to Twila's eyes and she sniffed by accident. It had sounded really watery and there was silence on the other end for a moment.

"Oh um . . . can I help you?" The snotty tone of her sister had left just like that. There was the softness she'd remembered, the motherly like gentle tone, someone who cared and loved.

"It's so weird; we both have legit names now. I want to call you by code every time." Silence was on the other end. Dead silence.

"It's Twila now isn't it . . ." Her tone too soft, too breathy. A little tear ran down Twila's face, her voice watery.

"I miss you. I was so worried, I felt so awful after we'd split . . ." A breathy laugh was heard.

"Oh sister . . . no one was more worried than me. Take my word for it." Tears let themselves run and she didn't know why.

"I'm leaking so much." They both started to laugh at her joke, one quieter than the other.

"We are going to see each other very soon, there is a bug there in Edge and I get to go with Daddy to step on it. After, we will go to Kalm and visit." That one sentence changed the entire mood of the conversation.

"What?" A bug? She thought back to that feeling she'd had when she came in.

"I can't wait; I haven't had fun in a while. Not since those pigs in Mirley. Now that was a bloody good time." Twila's face matched that of a horror victim's. Her sister was out killing people?

There was a knock on the door.

"Crap, someone is here. I'm back at 7th heaven though. I'll talk to you soon."

"Love you-" She quickly hung up as the door opened up. She wiped at her teary face and hoped whoever it was hadn't heard her conversation. To her surprise it was Cloud, he leaned against the threshold of the door.

"You alright?" She crossed her arms.

"Do I look alright?" He rolled his eyes and turned the light on before closing the door. He tripped on her boots though, the great Cloud stumbling a few steps. He gave an awkward stance where he looked behind him with a bewildered look before looking back at Twila sheepishly. She broke out into fits of laughter where he soon joined her. She continued to laugh but tears came out of her eyes for some reason. Cloud gave a small knowing smile as he came to sit by her on the bed as he let her cry. After a while she stopped and resumed sniffling.

"Sorry . . ." He shook his head,

"No, don't apologize. It's good for hard people to cry." She looked up at him.

"Hard people?" He nodded before looking back to her with his blue eyes. She was picturing people made of rock.

"Yeah, no one has an easy life but there are such things as people with rough lives who are soft and those with rough lives who are hard. Us harder people tend to hold things in, it's good to let it out." He nodded again, as if to congratulate himself for the wise bit.

"I'm actually surprised you waited this long. Things are changing for you so fast. Don't let it make you bitter though. Don't hold it in either, people love you, people are there for you so you talk to them ok?" He reached over and ruffled her hair. "It'll work out better in the long run, I promise." He stood up ready to leave.

"I've got deliveries tomorrow but I heard Vincent would be back around late afternoon. You have my number, call me if you need to alright?" She nodded to him and smiled when he carefully stepped over her boots this time. He winked before closing the door behind him. After talking to her sister and then talking to Cloud . . . she felt much better. She wasn't sure if it was the actual talking to or the crying though. Maybe it had been both? She snuggled down into the covers, this new life was an adventure, and she'd learn and grow as she went along.

* * *

><p>She was awake but her eyes were closed and she lay still as could be. She didn't want to get up, not one bit. She didn't know what time it was but that it was early she was sure. She always got up early.<p>

That was until she heard the sound of running and laughing children. This meant that Min and Yuki were up. Which meant it wasn't early. She opened her eyes which she found was a task much harder than needed to be. Her eyes were gumming and she was having trouble getting it off. What was this junk? She wiped at it but couldn't rub it off so she picked at it until it came away like gum almost. She gave a face at it, gross as it was and sat up. Everything was too bright though and she could only squint . . . why was it so bright? Her neck hurt and the goggles had stuck to her throat in an odd way, she'd apparently sweated during her sleep and they'd clamped to her skin. She pulled at them until they fell back the way they were supposed to. She then rolled her head around trying to fix her neck but no deal.

Twila almost jumped at the rather obnoxious sound of growling before realizing it was her stomach. She couldn't remember when she was this hungry. She scooted over to the side before stopping. She'd sweated but why did her skin look weird? She rubbed at a piece of her arm before her mouth dropped, the gummy material that had been over her eyes was there too, and in fact it was all over her. She looked at her pillow; it had it all over it. That explained why her mouth and nose had been uncovered. She felt like screaming but held it in, jumping off the edge, she fell to the ground. What was wrong with her legs?

Cloud's shirt used to almost drag at the ground and now it didn't even make it to her ankles. That crap was there too, on her legs, she gave a more horrified look. She tried to stand but found it more than difficult, nearly impossible. Her legs were numb, her arms were the same but just enough feeling was in them that she could drag herself to a sitting position where she leaned against the bed. She opened her mouth to yell for help but all that came out was a croak. What was this? Was she dying?

She didn't know how long she sat there, her stomach growling and hunger pains so strong she felt like crying. Something was definitely wrong.

Her luck came for her as she heard a knock on the door.

"Twila? You still sleeping sweety?" Twila looked to Tifa with the most pitiful look ever; Tifa gasped and ran to her. Her voice sounded muffled and far away. Twila could only squint at her and she was amazed she could tell who it was.

"Twila!" She heard footsteps at the door and saw Marlene (a pink blob) and what appeared to be the girls. Min and Yuki looked sick and she was sure that Marlene had the same horrified look she'd taken on before.

"What is this?" Tifa turned to Marlene,

"Go get Vincent!" Was he there already? Tifa put a shaky hand to Twila's gooped up arm, the stuff looked like mucus.

"Min go get me a bowl of warm water and Yuki get me some wash rags." She was in mother mode immediately, it made Twila feel better. She started by taking the goggles off and setting them aside before removing the grey shirt. It would definitely have to be washed now as it came off after a few minutes of peeling it from her skin.

Min and Yuki came back, the steam rising above the white tin wash bowl. Tifa grabbed a pink rag and dipped it into the water before taking the corner and gently wiping at Twila's face. Most of her face was clean when Twila slowly turned her head to look at the doorway when the first sound of creaking was heard. Marlene had a very tall dark man leaned against her, Vincent. He, with the help of tiny blushing Marlene, limped into the room. Tifa stood up to help him stand as Marlene got a chair for him to sit in before allowing herself to return to Twila. She picked up a long sticky piece of the junk and showed Vincent.

"Do you know what this is? I came in here and she was on the floor, she is covered with it. "He leaned forward a little though it looked like it pained him a bit. His arm was in a sling, and she could see the corner of a patch of gauze sticking out of the neckline of his black shirt.

"Twila, can you hear me?" She nodded once, the movement too slow and her neck throbbing. Tifa leaned too then, seeing her ears. There were caps around them and when she peeled them off the strange material pulled away with a middle pit; it had been in her ears too. The girls made 'ew' faces but Twila paid them no mind. She swallowed heavily grateful that her hearing was back. That was, until she heard the screeching of a motorbike in her ears. She winced, there wasn't a motorbike in the room . . .why did it sound like it? She looked around, she looked so scared.

"Twila, sweety, what's wrong?" Vincent nodded towards the door and the two younger girls left. Min closed the door and as soon as it clicked shut a whimper came from his daughter.

"Is it her hearing?" He nodded as Twila tried to open her eyes more, Tifa looked back to Vincent, and her eyes were nearly black from dilation. She shook her head before she turned to Marlene,

"Will you run her some bath water?" She'd whispered and Twila was too grateful as her whispering sounded like she was talking loudly. She blinked a few times before looking at her father. He smelled of the road and of smoke, blood and plastic. She could smell the ointment put on his gunshot would. A gunshot wound? How could she tell that by smell? She looked away; feeling was starting to come into her legs. She was bigger. Licking her lips she tried clearing her voice.

"How . . . old?" Her voice was rough, barely human sounding. Tifa ogled at her but Vincent kept up.

"It's too soon to tell. Older then before though." She knew that, she winced. Why? Why had her body betrayed her like this? She was supposed to be in control of everything. She could wiggle her toes and she felt like she'd won something. Someone came in downstairs, she could hear the door in the bar opening and closing, the creaking of the glass, foot falls on the wood floor. She looked to Tifa and was about to tell her when she smelt motor oil and heard the sniffling of a boy, Denzel and Martin. Vincent looked knowing, was his hearing that good too? He stood up, wobbled a little bit before placing his one free hand to his stomach; she noted it was the one that wasn't in the armor so that meant his usually armored one was in the sling. He was barefoot she could see, it amazed her as she'd only seen him in boots and armor, him in trousers and barefoot just looked strange to her. She heard Denzel coming up the stairs and the girls in the living room with Martin. She could hear their every word and she gave an angry look. They were calling her a monster. How dare they? Tifa gasped and leaned back. What? She swallowed and looked up at her father though it pained her. She would have asked but Marlene was coming up the stairs. She could hear the water still running in the bathtub which was on the first floor.

Tifa was looking up at Vincent until he sat back down in which she returned her gaze to Twila. Marlene came in,

"Water's almost done." She whispered it to Tifa whom nodded. Marlene came in to help Vincent around as Tifa scooped up Twila. Twila was a little bigger than before so it wasn't entirely as easy. She made her way to the bathroom and helped her into the tub. Twila allowed herself to submerge so that her ears were underwater and found out that it was much quieter that way. With help from Tifa she got the gunk off her skin and she was finally starting to feel a little better. She could move her limbs more, including her new longer legs (in fact she noticed she was longer everywhere).

Tifa stood up to leave for a fresh set of towels but Twila hadn't really felt like being alone. She could hear Tifa going to the bar and could even hear her clicking the buttons on a phone. Once whoever was on the other side answered she went back to the hallway where the closet was at. She shivered as the water was draining out; the hot water had made her skin mucus . . . stuff, soupy and easier to get off her skin. She turned hearing her father limp up the hallway to stop at the bathroom. He had a white fluffy towel in his hand, had Tifa passed it off to him? She hadn't heard anything. Hadn't . . . She looked around trying to hear people talking in the house. It was all muffled. Her hearing had gone down it would seem. Tifa had left the room dark for her, turning to Vincent,

"Can you try the light?" He flicked it on and she squinted. It took a few moments but her eyes adjusted like they should and she gave a pleased look. Standing up she watched the last of the water go down the drain. Vincent's looming form came forward and wrapped the towel around her. Up close she could see his arm sling more. She could see his hand too, it wasn't gloved either.

"Did you break it?" His fingers twitched a little.

"It isn't broken now." So he had? That meant he regenerated the same as she, quickly. Even when he hadn't worn the armor piece, he would wear a glove. She understood why now. His hand was burnt. Well, scarring wise it looked so. But the skin wasn't pink instead it was white like the rest of his skin. She reached out and barely allowed the tips of her fingers to graze his knuckles as she leaned forward to see at a different angle. Regular fire hadn't made this, it had been something else. Did acid make skin look like this? She straightened up and climbed out of the tub, she wobbled much as he'd done before; however, she was leaning too far to one side and was falling. Reaching out with his good hand he grabbed her before she fell and pulled her into him, before she hadn't made it to his waist. Now she was passed his belt. She looked up at him with a mixed expression. He patted her wet head before turning around to leave, she thought he would go but he stopped at the threshold.

"This hasn't happened before?" She shook her head as she was trying to clean the mirror off. She gave an angry look at the new face she'd grown. Her baby like features were mostly gone, though she had a face that still had 'baby' written all over it. Her forehead was less prominent, her nose more shaped, she'd be getting her father's nose no doubt. Cheeks more defined her chin less round. She let out an angry sigh and balled her fists up.

"I've never grown multiple sizes in one night. This is at least . . . 12?" She turned away from the mirror looking at him.

"I need to use the phone." He let her pass as she slowly made her way to his bedroom. Her joints ached a little at their use and she moaned bending over to get her goggles. She put them back around her neck before sitting on the bed to rest a few minutes. After she felt a little better she picked up the bedside phone, which didn't require as much stretching as it should have. She dialed and waited.

"Yes?" It was Yazoo.

"Are they still there?"

"No, they left early."

"Shit." She looked around, she knew she was here at 7th Heaven . . . they wouldn't come here surely?

"Are you alright?" She'd forgotten she'd been on the phone.

"Oh . . . yeah, something like that." She couldn't see his face on the other line, see how quirked it looked.

"I grew, a lot." She also couldn't see him lift a hand to his face.

"How much is a lot?"

"Several sizes? I think I'm about . . . 12 or 13 now?" She heard him sigh.

"I'll tell them so they know what to look for." She growled but didn't say anything more; she was grouchy and didn't want to upset him.

"I'll call later." She hung up and looked around. She hadn't noticed the bedding had already been changed. She slid off the bed and fixed the towel around her so she didn't have to hold it. All her new clothes for nothing she realized. She could probably wear her dresses as shirts though. She walked out of the room, though she walked a bit strange. Her new height was certainly a bit to get used to. Her father was still in the hallway, he'd heard her conversation no doubt. She shrugged it off. She didn't look at him as she walked down the stairs setting her face in a mean scowl.

She walked by the living room, stopping to catch her breath from the stairs (a first for her). She happened to look in and see the girls plus Martin. The girls looked at her wide eyed and Martin's face was red. She thought it was because she looked different but then remembered she was still in a towel. She looked up the stairs to see Vincent watching her. Still looking him in the eye she raised a hand slowly out in front of her before flipping her middle finger out to Min and Yuki. She saw his scornful look before she heard the girls gasp.

She waited for him to do something, anything. He only looked at her with anger, she had known she'd done wrong. She was growing thin with those girls though. She gave him a snotty look before turning on her heel and walking into the bar.


End file.
